Psychological Explanation: Psychodynamic Flashcards
what is the theory of inadequate superego?
- Blackburn (93) says if superego is inadequate, Id isn’t controlled which leads to criminality
what is a weak superego?
if parent of same sex to child is absent during phallic stage, child can’t identify with normal behaviour
what is a deviant superego?
if superego internalised by child is deviant, it leads to criminality
(like a boy with criminal father won’t associate crime with guilt)
what is an over-harsh superego?
internalisation of a harsh/ punishing superego results in too much anxiety and guilt
leads the person to seek punishment by performing criminal acts
inadequate superego:
– Gender Bias
- assumes that girls have a weaker superego but there less female prisoners than male ones
- Hoffman (75) found kids who had to resist temptation, hardly any difference with boys and girls, in fact girls slightly better
inadequate superego:
– contradictory evidence
- little evidence that kids with missing same sex parents become criminals
- also most criminals avoid punishment rather than seeking it
inadequate superego:
– concept hard to test
- superego is an unconscious concept - lacks empirical testing
- can only be judged on face value (pseudoscience)
- contributes little to understanding of crime
Maternal Deprivation:
What is Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
- bowlby (44) said bad bond to mother causes bad relationships, which then leads to criminality
- causes affection less psychopathy (lack of guilt and empathy)
Maternal Deprivation:
What was Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?
- 14/44 showed affectionless psychopathy
- 12/14 were maternally deprived as infants (found by interviewing the boys and family members)
- only 2 in control had similar separation
Maternal Deprivation:
negative evaluation of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?
- research bias as bowlby conducted experiment so could make sure he got results to support theory
- self report techniques could mean dishonesty
- fails to separate deprivation and privation
