AO3 Psychodynamic Explanation

• +Support for link of Superego. Goreta conducted a Freudian-style analysis of ten offenders referred for psychiatric treatment. In all those assessed, disturbances in Superego formation were diagnosed. Each offender experienced the need for punishment manifesting itself as a desire to commit acts of wrongdoing and offend (possibly due to an over-harsh Superego). This evidence seems to support the role of psychic conflicts and an over-harsh Superego as a basis for offending.
• -Gender-biased. Psychodynamic theory assumes girls develop a weaker Superego than boys - they do not experience castration anxiety, so have less need to identify with their mothers. However there are 20 times more men than women in prison and Hoffman found no gender differences in children's moral behaviour. This suggests there is alpha bias at the heart of Freud's theory and means it may not be appropriate as an explanation of offending behaviour.
• -Bowlby’s theory is based on association. Lewis analysed 500 interviews with young people, maternal deprivation was a poor predictor of future offending and the ability to form close relationships in adolescence. Even if there is a link there are countless other reasons for it, for example maternal deprivation may be due to growing up in poverty. This suggests that maternal deprivation may be one of the reasons for later offending behaviour, but not the only reason.
• Contribution

  Psychodynamic explanations were first to link moral behaviour/offending to early childhood and emotional factors. However, unconscious concepts are not open to empirical testing. Arguments such as the inadequate Superego can only be judged on their face value. This suggests that although psychodynamic explanations have made a useful contribution to the debate, the lack of a credible scientific basis is an issue.
• -Harsh parenting. If this theory were correct we would expect harsh, punitive parents to raise children who often experience guilt. Evidence suggests that the opposite is true - such children rarely express guilt (Kochanska). This calls into question the relationship between a strong, punitive internal parent and excessive feelings of guilt within the child.