Lesson 8: Psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour

Question 1

What are the THREE parts of personality

Answer 1

1) Id
2) Ego
3) Superego

Question 2

What shapes the development of these three parts of personality

Answer 2

experience and conflict in CHILDHOOD shape the development of the three parts of personality- affecting how a person behaves

Question 3

Describe the Id

Answer 3

Formed: between birth and 18 months of age
-In the UNCONSCIOUS mind
-It is IRRATIONAL and EMOTIONAL-> deals with feelings + needs and seeks pleasure

Question 4

What principle does the Id operate on?

Answer 4

Operates on the PLEASURE principle

Question 5

Describe the ego

Answer 5

Formed: around 18 months until 3 years of age
-In the CONSCIOUS mind
-May delay GRATIFICATION that the ID wants until there is a more APPROPRIATE time to express it
-compromises between the IMPULSIVE demands of the id and MORALISTIC demands of the superego

Question 6

What principle does the ego operate on?

Answer 6

Operates on the REALITY principle

Question 7

Describe the superego

Answer 7

Formed: Between 3->6 years of age
-In the UNCONSCIOUS mind
-acts as a CONSCIENCE or MORAL guide based on parental and societal VALUES

Question 8

What principle does the superego operate on?

Answer 8

Operates on the MORALITY principle

Question 9

What is the last part of personality to form?

Answer 9

the superego

Question 10

When does the superego develop?

Answer 10

it develops at the end of the PHALLIC stage of PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

Question 11

What is the major conflict at the phallic stage for males?

Answer 11

Oedipus complex- male child UNCONSCIOUSLY wishes to possess their mother and get rid of their father

Question 12

What do boys develop as a result of the OEDIPUS complex

Answer 12

Castration anxiety- the fear that their father will cut off their penis to punish them for their desire of their mother

Question 13

How do boys resolve castration anxiety

Answer 13

Child IDENITIFIES with their father + INTERNALISES their father’s SUPERGO, creating their own

Question 14

What is the major conflict at the phallic stage for girls?

Answer 14

Electra complex

Question 15

How do girls resolve the electra complex

Answer 15

they IDENTIFY with their mother and INTERNALISE her superego (but not to the same extent)

Question 16

What did Blackburn (1993) argue about the superego?

Answer 16

if the superego is somehow DEFICIENT or INADEQUATE then criminal behaviour is INEVITABLE beacuse the ID is not properly controlled

Question 17

What are the three types of inadequate superego

Answer 17

1. WEAK superego
2. DEVIANT superego
3. OVER-HARSH superego

Question 18

How does a WEAK superego form

Answer 18

if the same-sex parent is ABSENT during the PHALLIC stage, the chid cannot INTERNALISE a fully formed superego bc there is no opportunity for IDENTIFICATION.

Making OFFENDING behaviour likely

Question 19

How does a DEVIANT superego form?

Answer 19

if the superego the child internalises has IMMORAL or DEVIANT values, this often leads to offending behaviour

Question 20

How does a OVER-HARSH superego form?

Answer 20

an excessively PUNITIVE superego means an individual is crippled by GUILT + ANXIETY.

This may UNCONSCIOUSLY drive the individual to perform criminal acts in order to SATISFY the superego’s need for punishment

Question 21

NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour
( assumption= girls superego<boys superego)

Answer 21

• An assumption of the Psychodynamic approach is the idea that GIRLS develop a
  WEAKER superego than boys.

The implication is that females should be more PRONE to criminal behaviour.

HOWEVER, This is simply not supported by crime statistics.

For Instance, in 2019, 74% of individuals dealt with by the Criminal Justice System were MALE, and 26% were female.

Question 22

NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour
(Hint: children’s ability to resist temptation)

Answer 22

• HOFFMAN (1975) tested children’s ability to resist temptation.

He found hardly any gender difference, although girls were slightly MORE moral than boys.

Question 23

NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour
(Hint: very little evidence, same-sex parent)

Answer 23

• There is very little EVIDENCE that children raised without a same-sex parent
  are LESS law-abiding as adults (or have less of a conscience).

Question 24

NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour
(Other explanations e.g genetics)

Answer 24

• If children raised by deviant parents go on to commit crime themselves this
  could be due to genetics or learning rather than a deviant superego.

Question 25

NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach of offending behaviour

Answer 25

• The idea that some criminals have an unconscious desire for punishment is
  implausible, most offenders go to great lengths to conceal their crime and so
  avoid punishment