Psychodynamic explanations

• The psychodynamic explanation to offending is based on an inadequate superego from a differing identification and internalisation to your same sex parent.
• The weak superego is when the same sex parent was absent during the phallic stage which results in the inability to internalise and there’s no opportunity for identification with the same sex parent
• The deviant superego is where you have a criminal same sex parent and you internalise their deviant morals and values.

  This leads to guilt free offending.
• The overharsh superego is developed due to strict discipline and this is where the individual is crippled with guilt and anxiety.

  This leads to crime being committed to relieve their conscience.
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  Issues with this research is it holds gender bias.

  This is because Freud said women were more likely to develop a weaker superego which implies women would be more inclined to criminality.

  However, evidence of ratio statistics shows that there are more male inmates than female ones.

  Therefore Freuds research is criticised for alpha bias and pathologising women falsely.
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  Curther issues are that there is a lack of empirical support.

  This is because the whole theory is based on the unconscious mind and the tripartite personality which is an unfalsifiable concept.

  This leads to you only being able to judge the explanation at face value but the theoretical grounding it flawed so you can’t even do that and therefore it lacks validity.
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  Contradictory evidence is that there is little evidence on children raised without a same sex parent that are not law abiding which contradicts the idea of the weak superego.

  Also children of deviant parents committing crime is more due to genetics and socialisation.

  Also the idea of the over harsh of superego is implausible as criminals being caught and punished is counterintuitive and suggests those with a strong guilty conscience are less likely to commit crime.

  Therefore this provides evidence to contradict Freud and limits the validity.
• Other research comes from maternal deprivation which states children who have been more maternally deprived are more likely to be affection less psychopaths and therefore will commit crime.
• Bowlby researched 44 thieves and interviewed them and their parents to see any signs of maternal deprivation and affectionless psychopathy (Lack of remorse or guilt)

  He found 14/44 - affevtionless psychopaths

  12/14 - prolonged separation

  5/30 - had experienced separation

  2 / 44 in control group - experienced long term separation

  Concluded prolonged separation or deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy.