forensics: psychodynamic explanations ao3

Question 1

Untestable concepts

Answer 1

• Bowlby’s work suggests a connection between antisocial behaviour in children and poor parenting, but this cant be seen as scientific evidence for a poorly developed superego leading to delinquency.
• Many Freudian concepts like the superego are not directly observable or falsifiable, meaning as an explanation of offending behaviour it cant be empirically tested so will always be an unscientific explanation.

Question 2

IRL application

Answer 2

• theories on the link between early childhood experience and later criminality can be applied to reduce crime.
• Freud’s ideas can be used to ensure children’s superego is not under or over developed with parenting classes.
• taking children away from parents who are serious criminals so they dont develop a weak superego
• getting children adopted asap so mat dep doesnt have an affect
  Bowlby’s ideas have been accepted and care is now taken to reduce maternal deprivation eg maternity leave

Question 3

Gender bias

Answer 3

• theres a clear gender bias
• Freud’s suggests that as females don’t resolve the Oedipus complex they should have weaker superegos, and less moral.
• This is an example of alpha bias and likely due to Freud’s own androcentric world view.
• Offending data clearly shows across cultures females are less likely to be offenders than males, a direct counter to Freud’s theory.

Question 4

Correlational research

Answer 4

• Evidence for early childhood experience and later criminal behaviour like Bowlby’s 44 thieves is correlational.
• Cause and effect cant be established so criminal behaviour may due be other factors
• There is a range of evidence for alternative explanations for offending behaviour such as social learning processes and genetic origins.