A01: Psychodynamic Explanations - Psychological explanations

• Inadequate Superego can lead to immoral behaviour

  • Freud's psychodynamic approach suggests Superego is guided by morality principle leading to feelings of guilt for wrongdoing: Freud not directly address offender behaviour; instead, concept of his explanations been applied to others:
  • Blackburn's (1993) Theory of The Inadequate Superego: if Superego (morality principle, formed end phallic stage) is deficient/inadequate (weak, deviant or over-harsh) offending behaviour inevitable coz ID (governed by pleasure principle) given 'free rein' & not properly controlled.
• 1. Weak Superego


  Absence of same-sex parent

  • 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 can not internalise a fully-formed Superego as there is no opportunity for identification
  • This leaves the individual to be dominated by their ID.
  • This would make offending behaviour more likely.
• 2. Deviant Superego

  Child internalises deviant values

  • A child internalise the same-sex parent's moral attitudes to from their Superego
  • If these internalised moral attitudes are deviant this would lead to a deviant Superego and to offending behaviour
  • The superego that is internalised has immoral or deviant values this would lead to offending behaviour

  E.g being raised by a criminal parent makes them less likely to experience guilt for their actions.
• 3. Over-harsh Superego

  Committing crimes satisfies need for punishment

  • An excessively punitive or overly harsh parent creates a child who has an over-harsh Superego and the child is crippled by guilt and anxiety.
  • This may (unconsciously) drive the individual to perform criminal acts in order to get caught, in order to satisfy the Superego's overwhelming need for punishment and to relieve their conscience.
• The role of emotion:

  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
• Maternal deprivation:

  Bowlby (1944) argued that a warm continuous relationships 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.
• 44 Juvenile thieves study supports Bowlby's maternal deprivation hypothesis

  Through interviews with thieves & their families

  • Bowlby (1944) found: 14 of 44 thieves show signs of personality & behavioural characteristics that could be classified as 'affectionless psychopathy' - 12 of 14 had prolonged separation from mothers in infancy (esp first 2 years of lives).
  • In control non-criminal group 2 'thieves' experienced similar early prolonged separation (maternal deprivation).

  Concluded: efforts maternal deprivation had caused affectionless and delinquent behaviour among the juvenile thieves.
• 3 stages of inadequate superego have been proposed:

  3 stages of inadequate superego have been proposed:

  1. Weak Superego
  2. Deviant Superego
  3. Over-harsh Superego

  
  

  Blackburn's Research is called: Blackburn (1993) Theory of The Inadequate Superego

  Pleasure principle: born with it - innate biological drive
• Maternal Deprivation: P2

  Bowlby: ability to form meaningful adult relationships hinged on kid having warm, continuous bond with maternal figure.

  • Maternal connection crucial for child's wellbeing & development.
  • Failing to establish bond in early childhood lead to various damaging & irreversible consequences later in life.

  Outcome: emergence of specific personality type: affectionless psychopathy = lack of guilt, empathy & concern for others. Individuals deprived of maternal care prone to delinquent behaviour & struggle form close relationships coz lack necessary early nurturing experiences.
• Bowlby's maternal deprivation & 44 juvenile thieves study supports link between early maternal separation and delinquent behaviour.