Psychodynamic theories

• Psychodynamic theories see our personality as containing active forces that cause us to act as we do, these forces are powerful urges, feelings and conflicts within the unconscious mind. Criminal behaviour is a result of the individuals failure to resolve these inner conflicts in a socially acceptable way.
• What is Freuds theory of psychoanalysis?


  according to freud, our early childhood experiences determine our personality and future behaviour. In particular, our early experiences determine whether we will go on to act in anti-social ways.
• What does Freud state are the 3 parts to someones personality?

  The Id

  The ego

  the superego

  Criminal behaviour results from unresolved conflict between these parts of the personality.
• What is the Id?


  This is located in the unconscious, instinctive 'animal' part of the mind. It contains powerful, selfish, pleasure-seeking needs and drives, such as the desire for food, sex and sleep.

  The Id is governed by 'the pleasure principle' - the blind desire to satisfy its urges at any cost.

  If we acted on these urges whenever we felt them, they would often lead to anti-social and criminal behaviour.
• What is the superego?

  Contains our conscious or moral rules, which we learn through interactions with our parents during early socialisation in the family.

  For example, we may be punished for satisfying our urges without regard for others.

  If we act- or even think of acting against the superego, it punishes us with feelings of guilt and anxiety.
• What is the ego?


  Ego means 'I', this is being pulled in opposing directions between someones desires (Id) and their conscious (superego)

  The ego's rule is to try and strike a balance between their conflicting demands. It seeks to control the Id's urges while still finding ways to satisfy them.

  The ego is driven by the 'reality principle' it learns from experiences that in the real world, our actions have consequences.
• Psychoanalytic theorists see anti-social behaviour as caused by an abnormal relationship with parents during early socialisation, for example due to next to excessively lax or strict parenting. This can result in a weak, over-harsh or deviant superego.
• How can a weakly developed superego link to criminality?

  a weakly developed superego means the individual will feel less guilt about anti-social behaviour and less inhibition about acting on the id's selfish or aggressive urges.
• How can an over-harsh and unforgiving superego link to criminality?

  This linked to criminality as it creates deep-seated feelings of guilt in the individual, who crave punishment as a release from these feelings. The person may engage in compulsive repeat offending in order to be punished.