Psychodynamic explanations

• Blackburn's inadequate superego theory - Freud stated personality made from 3 components, id, ego and superego. Superego is last to develop at the end of the phallic stage after Oedipus or Electra complex are resolved. Works on morality principle. Blackburn argued if superego doesn't develop properly then criminal behaviour may occur as they id is given free reign. 3 types proposed
• Weak superego: Same sex parent is not present so child cannot form a superego is there is no chance for identification so makes criminal behaviour likely as id will have full control
• Deviant superego: Same sex parent commits crime and the child will then internalise immoral values from the offending behaviour and so is more likely to commit crime as superego will believe it is okay to do so
• Over-harsh superego: Individual has internalised strict values and so has crippled by anxiety which unconsciously drives the individual to criminal behaviour to satisfy the superegos need for punishment
• (Superego)+Research evidence


  Goreta conducted a Freudian-style analysis of 10 offenders referred for psychiatric treatment. Those assessed had disturbances in superego formation, specifically unconscious feelings of guilt and need for self-punishment. Therefore evidence supports the role of a psychic conflict, specifically over harsh superego
• (Superego)-Theories are gender biased

  Freudian theory is gender biased. Implicit assumption within Freud's theory is that girls develop a weaker superego than boys because they don't experience castration anxiety so are less motivated to identify with their mothers. This implies a female's superego and so morality is less fully developed and therefore would be more likely to engage in crime. Problem is in reality women are less likely to be convicted of a crime so there is alpha bias and validity of theory is questioned
• (Superego)-Explanation lacks scientific credibility


  Psychodynamic theories lack falsifiability as ideas about the unconscious cannot be tested so criminal applications cannot be tested and therefore can only be judged on their face value instead of scientific credibility. Theories are known as pseudoscientific and can be criticised for contributing little to criminal theories
• Bowlby maternal deprivation theory - When an individual doesn't form a strong attachment with their primary caregiver during the critical period of 0-2 1/2 so their internal working model fails to form and has intellectual and emotional difficulties. Child will develop affectionless psychopathy where they lack empathy for others so are predisposed to crime - lack of care of consequences
• (Bowlby)+Research evidence


  Bowlby studied 44 juvenile thieves who were compared with a control group. 14 were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths with 12 of these having maternal deprivation in their critical period. Only 2 from the non-criminal group had experienced maternal deprivation supporting the idea that maternal deprivation can lead to criminality in later life
• (Bowlby)-Research can be criticised

  Mothers and juveniles in the study were interviewed from their memory so the data was retrospective. This means that there is a memory issue so some facts told may not be true. Mothers may also lie about their presence in the child's early life in order to look like a better parent so there is the issue of social desirability bias. Means study may lack internal validity
• (Bowlby)-Socially sensitive 


  Suggests fathers do not have an input in the role of their child's criminal behaviour as if attachments are not formed with the mothers then criminal behaviour will occur. The mother will be fully responsible for this and fathers cannot influence or change it