Psychodynamic explanations of criminal behaviour

Question 1

What makes up the personality according to the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

According to the psychodynamic approach we have a tripartite personality made up of:

the Id- based on the pleasure principle and wants instant gratification,

the ego- tries to make a balance between the id and superego and works on the reality principle

the superego- tires to get us to stick to the moral and social expectations of us and causes our guilt when do something wrong and pride when we are moral, works on the morality principle

Question 2

The superego

Answer 2

It is the last part of the personality to form, it develops during the phallic stage of psychosexual development during years 3-6. Boys experience the Oedipus complex, so they want to get rid of their fathers so they can have their mothers for themselves. They feel castration anxiety due to this, to stop this they identify with their father and adopt “male” characteristics. Part of this is them internalising their father’s superego which will become their own.

Girls go through a similar process called the electra complex but as they do not suffer castration anxiety they do not internalise their mother’s superego and have a less developed superego due to this.

Question 3

Causes of criminal behavior

Answer 3

Blackburn stated that if the superego was somehow deficient or not developed enough then criminal behavior is not fully controlled due to the id not being as constrained. Three types of inadequate superegos have been proposed.

weak superego- If the same sex parent is absent during the phallic stage the child could not interanlise a fully formed superego as identification would not occur, this makes criminal behavior likely.

Deviant superego- If the superego the child internalises has deviant/criminal attitudes this can lead to criminal behavior

Over harsh superego- If the superego is to harsh the person is crippled by guilt and anxiety , this could unconsciously force them to commit criminal acts so they receive punishment so satisfy their superego.

Question 4

Weaknesses of the psychodynamic explanation for criminal behavior

Answer 4

• ) It has sexist implications as it suggests girls are less moral then boys as they have a less developed superegos, this is also not supported by crime statistics which says males are more prone to criminal behavior.
• ) Hoffman made a test to see if children could resist temptation and found hardly any gender difference although girls where slightly more moral then boys.
• ) There is very little evidence suggesting a child raised without a same sex parent is less moral or less law abiding.
• ) If children raised by deviant parents go onto commit crimes this could be due to learning rather then a deviant superego.
• ) The idea some criminals have an unconscious desire for punishment is implausible as most go to great lengths to hide their crimes and escape punishment.