Psychodynamic Explanations

Question 1

Inadequate Superego can lead to immoral behaviour

Answer 1

Freud’s psychodynamic approach suggests that the Superego is guided by the morality principle leading to feelings of guilt for wrongdoing

Blackburn (1993) argued that if the Superego is inadequate (weak, deviant or over-harsh) then the Id (governed by the pleasure principle) is given ‘free rein’ - an uncontrolled Id means that offending behaviour is inevitable

Question 2

1. Weak Superego

Answer 2

During the phallic stage the Superego is formed through the resolution of the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex)

If the same-sex parent is absent during this stage a child cannot internalise a fully-formed Superego as there is no opportunity for identification

This would make offending behaviour more likely

Question 3

2. Deviant Superego

Answer 3

A child internalises the same-sex parent’s moral attitudes to form their Superego

If these internalised moral attitudes are deviant this would lead to a deviant Superego and to offending behaviour

Question 4

3. Over-harsh Superego

Answer 4

An excessively punitive parent creates a child who has an over-harsh Superego and the child is crippled by guilt or anxiety

This may (unconsciously) drive the individual to preform criminal acts in order to satisfy the Superego’s overwhelming need for punishment

Question 5

The role emotion

Answer 5

The psychodynamic approach deals with the emotional life of the individual and its role in offending, unlike other theories of crime

Emotions (e.g. anxiety) guide moral behaviour

Question 6

Maternal deprivation and affectionless psychopathy

Answer 6

Bowlby (1944) argued that a warm, continuous relationship with a mother-figure was crucial to future relationships, well-being and development

A loss of attachment in infancy (maternal deprivation) could lead to affectionless psychopathy (lack of empathy and guilt) and increased likelihood of delinquency

Question 7

44 juvenile thieves study supports Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis

Answer 7

Bowlby (1944) found that 14 of the 44 thieves showed signs of affectionless psychopathy - 12 of these had prolonged separation from their mothers in infancy

In a control group, only 2 ‘thieves’ had experienced prolonged separation (maternal deprivation )