Psychodynamic explanations (including deprivation)

• which of the three structures of personality is responsible for criminal behaviour?

  • the superego (morality principle)
  • as it's associated with our conscience and knowing what is right/wrong
  • superego develops as an outcome of Oedipus and Electra complex, so type identification with same sex parent can determine criminality
• which three components does the personality develop from? Give a brief description of each

  • id- pleasure principle, seeks gratification and represents primitive wants
  • superego- morality principle, concerns with what's right/wrong and causes guilt when rules are broken
  • ego- reality principle- anchored in the reality of the external world, balances the needs of superego and ego
• what are three ways in which a faulty superego can influence criminality?

  • weak/underdeveloped- child doesn't identify with same-sex parent or parent may be absent. Little control over anti-social behaviour, acts in ways which gratify the id
  • harsh/overdeveloped- strong identification with a strict parent. Excessive feelings of guilt, anxiety, seeks to overcome guilt felt by acting on id impulses by committing crimes and being punished for them
  • deviant superego- normal identification means child takes on same moral attitudes as parent- if parent has deviant attitudes this affects the kid
• how does the maternal deprivation theory link to criminality?

  • Bowlby proposed that prolonged separations between infant and caregiver has long-term emotional consequences
  • only has this effect if it happens at the age of before 2 1/2 years, continuing risk up to 5 years
  • one long-term consequence of separations is affectionless psychopathy- lack of normal affection, shame or responsibility
• what is affectionless psychopathy?

  inability to experience guilt, and a lack of social conscience, so an individual find it easier to commit crimes
• describe Bowlby's 44 thieves study to support affectionless psychopathy

  • compared 44 thieves attending his clinic with 44 control patients who had not stolen
  • none of the control patients experienced early separations, but 39% of ALL the thieves had
  • out of all the thieves, those who were affectionless had almost all experienced frequent separations (86%), compared to 17% of the other non-affectionless thieves
• evaluation of psychodynamic explanations?

  • ☹Gender bias - women develop weaker superegos, don't identify as strongly (alpha bias), however more males are criminals so this can't be true
  • 😊considers emotion- only explanation that does. Involves biological and childhood influences both
  • ☹causality- does separation cause emotional problems or is it discord at home which causes separations?
  • 😊applications- implications for preventing criminality. Robertson + Robertson, as long as emotional care provided kids can cope with physical separation