psychodynamic explanation EVALUATION

Question 1

it has gender bias

Answer 1

• Psychodynamic theory assumes that girls develop a weaker superego than boys
• this is because girls do not experience the castration anxiety associated with the Oedipus complex so they have less need to identify with their mothers
• This should mean females are more prone to criminal behaviour
• this is not supported by evidence

Question 2

There is contradictory evidence against Blackburn’s theory

Answer 2

• There is little evidence that children raised without a same-sex parent are less law-abiding as adults
• Also, if children raised by deviant parents go on to commit crime themselves, this could be due to the influence of genetics or socialisation, rather than a deviant superego
• It is implausible that criminality reflects an unconscious desire for punishment
• offenders try to conceal their actions to avoid punishment

Question 3

Psychodynamic explanations are regarded as pseudoscientific (‘fake science’)

Answer 3

• In the absence of supporting evidence, arguments such as the inadequate superego can only be judged on their face value rather than their scientific worth

Question 4

There is problems with Bowlby’s research

Answer 4

• Bowlby has been accused of researcher bias because his
  expectations may have influenced the responses of his interviews
• Furthermore, Koluchova (1976) found deprivation effects are not inevitable - some cases of very severe deprivation have had good outcomes provided a child has good aftercare

Question 5

There are problems with causality

Answer 5

• Lewis (1954) analysed data from interviews with 500 young people and found that maternal deprivation was a poor predictor of future offending behaviour
• Even if there was a link between maternal deprivation and crime, this does not necessarily indicate a causal link