Psychodynamic Explanation

Question 2

What are the there types of inadequate superego?

Answer 2

1. The weak superego: if the same-gender parent is absent during the phallic stage they cannot internalise a fully-formed superego as there’s not opportunity for identification, immoral behaviour more likely
2. The deviant superego: if a superego has immoral or deviant values it would lead to offending, boy raised by a criminal father doesn’t associated guilt w/ wrongdoing
3. The over-harsh superego: overly harsh parenting style can lead to superego crippled by guilt which drives individual to perform criminal acts to satisfy need for punishment

Question 3

How can maternal deprivation relate to offending behaviour?

Answer 3

Those who develop affectionless psychopathy characterised by lack of guilt, empathy as they failed to establish maternal relationship in first few years of life. Deprived individuals are likely to engage in acts of delinquency and cannot develop close relationships with others.

Question 4

What Bowlby study supports these claims?

Answer 4

44 Juvenile thieves (1944).

Through interviews with thieves and their family they found 14 of the sample could be classified as affectionless psychopathy (of the 14, 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers in infancy) In control group on two had experienced, maternal deprivation had cause delinquent and affectionless behaviour in juveniles

Question 5

What is the brief AO3 for psychodynamic approach?

Answer 5

• Research support for link between offending and the super ego: Goreta BUT, central principles aren’t supported
• Freudian theory is gender biased
• Bowlby’s theory is only based on an association between maternal deprivation and offending, reductionist

Question 6

What are the strengths for psychodynamic approach?

Answer 6

Goreta found support for link between offending and the superego. He conducted a Freudian-style analysis of 10 offenders referred for psychiatric treatment. In all assessed disturbances in superego formation were diagnosed, unconscious feeling of guilt and need for self-punishment. This is over-harsh superego, evidence supports role of psychic conflicts and an over-harsh superego as basis for offending.
HOWEVER, central principles of inadequate superego not supported. Opposite is true parents who use harsh forms of discipline raise rebellious children who rarely express feeling of guilt. Questions relationship between strong punitive parent and excessive feeling of guilt within a child.

Question 7

What are the weaknesses for psychodynamic approach?

Answer 7

• Gender-biased. Freuds theory is that girls develop a weaker superego as identification is not as strong (castration anxiety). Rate of imprisonment shows opposite 20x more men in prison then women, Hoffman found no gender differences in children just girls being more moral. Freuds theory may not be appropriate for explaining offending behaviour.

Lewis suggests Bowlby’s theory is only based on association with maternal deprivation and offending. She analysed data from interviews with 500 offenders, and found MD was a poor predictor of future offenders. This is not necessarily a causal relationship and may be due to growing up in poverty. May be a reason for later offending but not the only reason.