Psychodynamic Theory - Freud

• 2 Strengths of Psychodynamic Theory 


  Strength - Contributed to research about crime and behaviour. Childhood experiences and future behaviour shouldn't be underestimated.

  Strength - ID, Ego and Superego relate to different parts of the brain and their functions and development.
• 2 Limitations of Psychodynamic Theory


  Limitation - Theories of offending no longer accredited by psychologists due to difficulty oc testing concepts such as the unconscious mind.

  Limitation - Theories unscientific and lack objective interpretation. Very subjective process where different analysts may draw different conclusions.
• What did Freud believe?

  Best way to understand behaviour is to examine early childhood experiences and that criminality was linked to guilt.

  Much of our mind was in an unconscious region, it is our unconscious mind that controls behaviour, including criminality.
• What are the three parts of the psyche?

  ID

  Ego

  Supergo
• ID


  Controls our selfish and animalistic urges.

  It wants gratification and represents our basic needs. Primitive part of our personality.

  E.g. the ID would tell you to ignore your homework and party instead.
• Superego


  Our moral conscience.

  Concerned with social rules and Morals, it tells us what is right and wrong.

  E.g. It would tell you to stay home and complete your homework instead of going to the party.
• Ego


  Seeks rational and sensible control.

  Less primitive than ID and tries to he realistic.

  Mediator between the ID and Superego.

  E.g. Complete homework and then go to the party.

  Partly conscience and partly unconscious mind.
• Dominant ID


  Mind may be uncontrollable and this is where criminality takes place.
• Dominant Superego


  Moralistic, expecting perfection and being rather judgemental if this was not achieved.
• Dominant Ego


  Someone being incapable of accepting change and desiring a very fixed and rigid lifestyle.
• What do children need to progress from and to?

  ID,pleasure principle, dominated and needing instant gratification. Need to progress to dominant ego, reality principle.
• What happens to children who stay ID dominant?


  They can become criminals
• How does a child progress to the ego dominant?

  Stable home environment
• What has research shown about criminals and home environment?

  Most criminals come from unstable homes
• What was Bowlby's (1944) study?


  Looked at maternal deprivation by studying 44 juvenile delinquents and comparing them with non-criminal disturbed juveniles.

  39% delinquents had experienced complete separation from their mother's for 6 months+ during the first 5 years of life compared with 5% of the control group.