Psychodynamic Explanation To Offending

Question 1

The ID

Answer 1

• This part of your personality develops first
• It can be very demanding
• It is often referred to as the ‘I want’
• It works on the PLEASURE PRINCIPLE

Question 2

The ego

Answer 2

• This is the second part of the personality that develops
• It is the rational part of the personality
• It works on REALITY PRINCIPLES

Question 3

The superego

Answer 3

• This is the last part of the personality to develop
• It is the ‘you can’t have that’ part of the personality
• It works on the MORALITY PRINCIPLE

Question 4

Superego and offending

Answer 4

• The psychodynamic explanation of offending sees the superego (moral comment) as crucial in explaining criminality, as it is the part that decides between right and wrong

Question 5

What are the 3 ways of deficiency of the superego

Answer 5

• Weak superego
• Harsh superego
• Deviant superego

Question 6

Weak superego

Answer 6

• If the same sex parent is absent during the phallic stage, the child cannot internalise the moral values of the parent
• This makes immoral or criminal behaviour more likely

Question 7

Harsh superego

Answer 7

• May develop if the same sex parent is overly-harsh
• The identifies with this same sex parent and adopt the views of feeling unable to live up to their parents standard
• The individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety and commits a crime in order to satisfy the superego need for punishment

Question 8

Deviant superego

Answer 8

• The child has a criminal same sex parent and internalises the morals of them
• This leads to offending behaviour as they are not likely to associate guilt with the wrongdoings

Question 9

Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis

Answer 9

• This is another psychodynamic theory that proposed that if an infant is deprived of a mother or mother figure during the critical period of attachment then there will be serious consequences. These include mental abnormalities, delinquency, depression, affectionaless psychopathy

Question 10

Affectionless psychopathy

Answer 10

• This is caused by a disruption to the attachment between the mother and the infant within the first few years
• It is characterised by an inability to show affection, lack of empathy and concern for others, and little to no remorse of guilt for others

Question 11

44 thieves study (1944)- maternal deprivation support

Answer 11

• He studied 44 thieves and found that 14 out of the 44 were affectionless psychopaths, with 86% of these 14 thieves having some form of maternal deprivation in the first years of their life

Question 12

Evaluation of psychodynamic explanation

Answer 12

• Real life applications involving prevention of delinquency
• The theory is potentially sexist as it focuses on the Oedipus complex and only added in the electra complex after
• Many children grow up without same sex parents and do not end up as a criminal
• The idea of the over-harsh superego and wanting to be punished does not add up as the majority of criminals go to great lengths to not be caught and punished
• Correlational and not causation