Lesson 8: Psychodynamic explanations

Question 1

What principle is the id based on? What does this mean?

Answer 1

the Id is based on the pleasure principle – it wants immediate gratification regardless with morality. This may be associated with criminality

Question 2

What principle is the ego based on? What does this mean?

Answer 2

The ego is based on the reality principle. Therefore it may delay gratification until a more appropriate opportunity

Question 3

What principle is the superego based on? What does this mean?

Answer 3

It is based on the morality principle. It contains our conscience and the internalisation of social norms and rules. It causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken and pride when they are met

Question 4

Why is the superego important in criminality?

Answer 4

It is the last part of consciousness to form (in the phallic stage) at 3-6 years. Boys will go through an Oedipus complex where the boy will develop sexual feelings for the mother. They will then experience castration anxiety and as a result they internalise their father’s superego. Girls go through a similar complex called an Electra complex but they do not undergo castration anxiety – so they do not internalise their mother’s superego to the same extent. Therefore their superego is weaker meaning they may be more susceptible to immorality.

Question 5

Types of inadequate superego

Answer 5

• Weak superego: If the same sex parent is absent during the phallic stage, the child cannot internalise a fully formed superego because there is no opportunity for identification
• Deviant superego: If the superego that the child internalises has immoral or deviant values this can lead to offending behaviour
• Over-harsh superego: A healthy superego has rules, but is also forgiving of transgressions. An excessively punitive superego means an individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety. This may unconsciously drive the individual to perform criminals acts in order to satisfy the superegos need for punishment.

Question 6

Weaknesses of the psychodynamic explanations

Answer 6

• An assumption of this approach is that girls develop a weaker superego than boys. This implies that girls are more susceptible to crime than boys but this is not statistically true
• Hoffman (1975) found very little gender difference in the ability to resist temptation. However, contrary to the psychodynamic approach, girls were more moral than boys.
• There is also little evidence to support that growing up without a same-sex parent results in lesser morality as adults or having less of a conscience.
• It ignores the biological approach, as growing up with and internalising a deviant superego may be mistaken as growing up with deviant parents and inheriting these behaviours.
• The idea that some criminals have an unconscious desire for punishment (over-harsh superego) is not supported by most cases, where criminals go to great lengths to avoid punishment.

Question 7

Strengths of the psychodynamic explanation

Answer 7

This is a fairly weak argument, hardly any strengths