Psychodynamic Explanation To Offending Flashcards
1
Q
The ID
A
- 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
2
Q
The ego
A
- This is the second part of the personality that develops
- It is the rational part of the personality
- It works on REALITY PRINCIPLES
3
Q
The superego
A
- 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
4
Q
Superego and offending
A
- 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
5
Q
What are the 3 ways of deficiency of the superego
A
- Weak superego
- Harsh superego
- Deviant superego
6
Q
Weak superego
A
- 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
7
Q
Harsh superego
A
- 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
8
Q
Deviant superego
A
- 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
9
Q
Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis
A
- 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
10
Q
Affectionless psychopathy
A
- 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
11
Q
44 thieves study (1944)- maternal deprivation support
A
- 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
12
Q
Evaluation of psychodynamic explanation
A
- 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