psychodynamic Flashcards
Psychodynamic explanation
A perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
- Oedipus / electra complex
- Superego - morality principle
- Blackburn - deficient or inadequate superego - Id has free rein
The inadequate superego
Superego formed out of phallic stage when Oedipus/Electra conflict resolved, but offending more likely when Superego is inadequate
Weak superego
Child does not identify with same-gender parent (may be absent), so does not internalise moral code, no ‘conscience’
Deviant superego
Child internalises an immoral superego from e.g. criminal father, no guilt about offending
Over-harsh superego
Child identifies with very harsh/punitive same gender parent, overwhelming guilt and anxiety, offends to satisfy Superego’s need for punishment
Role of emotion
Inadequate Superego allows primitive, irrational, emotional demands (the Id) to guide moral behaviour
- Offending behaviour is consequence of emotional demands
- Lack of guilt is relevant to understanding offending behaviour
Maternal deprivation theory
Bowlby: offending caused by failure to form close attachment bond with mother-figure in first two years
- 44 juvenile thieves study - 14 of sample has affectionless psychopathy but only two in nonoffender group
- Affectionless psychopathy - lack of guilt, empathy and feeling for others
EVAL - research support
P - Strength as research support for link between and offending and superego
E - Goreta - Freudian-style analysis of 10 offenders - found disturbances in superego formation
E - each experienced experienced unconscious feelings of guilt and need for self-punishment - consequence of an over-harsh super ego - punishment manifesting itself as desire to offend
L - supports the role of psychic conflicts and an over-harsh superego as a basis for offending
P - central principles of inadequate super ego theory not supported
E - if theory correct - harsh punitive parents should raise children who constantly experience guilt and anxiety
E - parents who rely on harsher forms of discipline raise children who are rebellious and rarely express feelings of guilt or self-criticism
L - questions relationship between strong, punitive internal parents and excessive guilt within children
EVAL - gender bias
P - limitation of Freudian theory is gender-biased
E - implicit assumption girls develop weaker superegos because identification with same-gender parent is not strong - no intense emotion associated with castration anxiety - less pressure to identify with mother
E - superego is less fully realised - women should be more prone to offending but in UK 20 times more men in prison - Hoffman found hardly any evidence of gender differences - little girls tended to be more moral
L - alpha bias at heart of Freud’s theory - not appropriate as an explanation
EVAL - other factors
P - limitation as Bowlby’s theory is only based on association between maternal deprivation and offending
E - Lewis - analysed data drawn from interviews with 500 young people and found maternal deprivation poor predictor of future offending and ability to form close relationships in adolescence
E - even if link - not necessarily a causal relationship - other reasons for apparent link eg poverty
L - suggests maternal deprivation may be one of the reasons for later offending but not only reason
EVAL - contribution
P - psychodynamic explanation were some of first to link early experience in childhood to moral behaviour and offending
E - also drew attention to the emotional basis of offending, largely ignored by other explanations eg cognitive theories
E - however - unconscious concepts not open to empirical testing
L - absence of supporting evidence - only judged on face value rather than scientific worth
