Psychodynamic Explanations of offending behaviour

• What did Freud lack in his theories regarding criminals?

  A detailed fear of the criminal
• How do later psychodynamic theorists apply Freud's ideas to crime?

  They focus on early childhood relationships with parents affecting behavior
• What is the focus of psychodynamics in relation to offending behavior?

  • Parent-child relationships
  • Processes in the unconscious mind
  • Impact on offending behavior
• What is Freud's topographical model of personality composed of?

  Id, superego, and ego
• What does the id represent in Freud's model?

  The pleasure principle driving self-satisfaction
• What is the role of the superego according to Freud?

  To regulate behavior through guilt and pride
• How does the superego develop according to Freud?

  During the phallic psychosexual stage
• What age range does the phallic psychosexual stage cover?

  Three to six years old
• What is the Oedipus complex?

  A child's desire for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent
• What happens if a child has an underdeveloped superego?

  They may perform criminal acts as adults
• What can lead to an overdeveloped superego?

  Having overly strict parents
• What is a potential outcome of an overdeveloped superego?

  Adults may have a constant sense of guilt
• What is a deviant superego?

  When the same-sex parent is a criminal, leading to imitation of criminal morality
• How do defense mechanisms relate to criminal behavior?

  They alter perception to protect the ego from anxiety
• What is denial in the context of criminal behavior?

  Rejecting the seriousness of one's crime
• How does displacement manifest in violent criminals?

  They redirect anger towards a weaker target
• What is rationalization in criminal behavior?

  Justifying one's actions to alleviate guilt
• What does Bowlby's attachment theory suggest about parental relationships and criminality?

  • Poor parental relationships lead to criminality
  • Early relationships create an internal working model
  • Insecure relationships result in distrust and anti-social behavior
• What is maternal deprivation according to Bowlby?

  Prolonged absence of maternal care leading to negative outcomes
• What is affectionless psychopathy?

  No empathy for others and no guilt for one's actions
• What did Bowlby's 44th study link to high levels of delinquency?

  Affective psychopathy
• What is a criticism of Freud's theory regarding testability?

  • Concepts like the superego are not directly observable
  • Cannot be empirically tested
  • Considered unscientific explanations
• What is a practical implication of understanding early childhood experiences in relation to crime?

  • Improve childhood experiences
  • Parenting classes to prevent under/overdeveloped superego
  • Remove children from criminal parents
• What is a gender bias criticism of Freud's theory?

  It suggests females have a weaker superego than males
• What is a limitation of Bowlby's 44th study?

  It is correlational and cannot determine cause and effect