FP - Psychodynamic approach

Question 1

when is the superego formed

Answer 1

at the end of the phallic stage when boys resolve the Oedipus complex and girls resolve the Electra complex

Question 2

how does the superego operate

Answer 2

on the morality principle
- exerts it’s influence by punishing the ego for wrongdoing

Question 3

what does Blackburn say about the superego

Answer 3

• argues that the superego of criminals is deficient or inadequate so offending behaviour is inevitable
• the superego is given free will

Question 4

what are the 3 types of inadequate superego

Answer 4

• weak
• deviant
• over-harsh

Question 5

what is a weak superego

Answer 5

if the same-sex parents is absent during phallic stage a child cannot internalise a fully-formed superego
- there is no opportunity for identification
- makes immoral or offending behavior more likely

Question 6

what is a deviant superego

Answer 6

the superego that the child internalises is immoral or deviant so would lead to criminal behaviour e.g. having a criminal father would lead to having a criminal son

Question 7

what is an over-harsh superego

Answer 7

• excessively harsh parenting style can lead to a child having a superego that is crippled by guilt and anxiety
• drives the individual to perform criminal acts to satisfy the superego need for punishment

Question 8

what is maternal deprivation

Answer 8

having a bond with a mother then losing it

Question 9

what did Bowlby state about maternal deprivation

Answer 9

the ability to form meaningful relationships in adulthood was dependent upon the child forming a warm and continuous relationship with a mother figure
- failure to do so leads to affectionless psychopathy

Question 10

what is affectionless psychopathy

Answer 10

having a lack of guilt and empathy

Question 11

what was the 44 thieves study

Answer 11

aim: examine the link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation
procedure: 44 criminal teenager accused of stealing were interviewed for traits of affectionless psychopathy, the families were also interviewed
they were compared to a control group of 44 non-criminal teenagers who had emotional disruption
14 of 44 thieves can be described as affectionless psychopaths, 12 of which experienced prolonged separation from their mothers in the first 2 years of life
conclusion: early separation/deprivation causes affectionless psychopathy

Question 12

+ Research support for the superego by Goreta

Answer 12

• Conducted a Freudian-style analysis of 10 offenders that had been referred for psychiatric treatment
• Disturbances of Superego were diagnosed
• Each offender had unconscious feelings of guilt and the need for self-punishment
• Consequence of a over-harsh Superego
  The need for its punishment comes out as a desire to commit a crime
  BUT the central principles of the inadequate superego theory are not supported

Question 13

X Freud’s theory is very gender-biased

Answer 13

• He suggests that girls develop a weaker Superego than boys because their identification of the same sex parent is not as strong
• Girls do not experience the intense emotion associated with castration anxiety so are under less pressure to identify with their mothers
• The implication of this is that women should be more prone to offending than men but rates of imprisonment show the opposite -> there are 20x more men in prison than women
• Hoffman 1975 found that there are hardly any gender differences and when there was, little girls were more moral than little boys
  Alpha bias is Freud theory

Question 14

X Bowlby’s theory is only based on association between maternal deprivation and offending

Answer 14

• Lewis 1954 analysed data drawn from interviews with 500 young people
• Found maternal deprivation was a poor predictor of future offending and the ability to form close relationships in adolescence
• Even if there was a link between prolonged separation and offending, it is not necessarily a causal relationship
• Lots of other reasons for this link like growing up in poverty
• Maternal deprivation might have some influence but not the only reason

Question 15

X Both theories are socially sensitive

Answer 15

• blames mothers for working hard
• can make single parents feel guilty
• self-fulfilling prophecy if those are growing up with criminal parents
• lots of potential to cause harm to social groups