Psychodynamic Theories (ind) Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the key idea of psychodynamic theories?
Childhood development and experiences shape personality and behaviour.
What is Sigmund Freud’s theory?
Sigmund Freud- father of psychiatry: ‘criminals from a sense of guilt’ (1916)-
-All humans have criminal tendencies, but most people develop inner controls to help them deal with their urges.
- A child who is not correctly brought up will develop problems that cause criminal behaviours
- The personality has 3 parts and criminal behaviour results from unresolved conflicts between these parts of the personality
What is John Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
John Bowlby’s theory of attachment (1944)- ‘maternal deprivation theory’
- Children need a stable home environment to develop properly
- Separation from a primary caregiver in childhood may lead to a psychopathy where individuals feel no remorse for victims, they commit crimes against
What are the 3 parts of the mind/ psyche according to Freud?
ID (devil): basic instincts and primitive desires e.g. hunger, lust etc. (pleasure principle) selfish and wants immediate gratification. Develops first and is the subconscious.
EGO (referee): perceptions of reality (reality principle) and the ability to delay gratification and weigh up consequences rationally. The ‘referee’ in both the unconscious and conscious mind balancing your ID and superego.
SUPEREGO (angel): thinks of others- your conscience; what makes you feel guilty for bad actions (develops last).
Explain 3 key points about causes of criminality that follow from Freud’s psychodynamic theory.
a) all humans have criminal tendencies-from the ID, but most people develop inner controls to help them deal with their urges.
b) a child who is not brought up correctly will develop personality problems- an underdeveloped ego or superego- or a deviant superego- that can cause criminal behaviours.
c) children need to progress from the pleasure principle (being ID dominated) when they need instant gratification to the reality principle when the ego is dominant, with the moral conscience of the superego.
Criminals are those who have not made this transition.
Explain two problems with the superego that may lead to criminality – and the effect of each on behaviour.
a) WEAK SUPEREGO: too weak to suppress your ID.
b) DEVIANT SUPEREGO: just does what the ID says and goes against the morals that the superego should know.
Summarise Freud’s theory in 3 sentences.
The mind is separated into 3 segments- the ID, ego and superego and these all play different roles in the brain’s development and behaviour. The ID has criminal tendencies, but most people have inner controls to suppress these urges and do the right thing. Criminals are people who do not have the inner control to supress the urges and therefore, a child who is not brought up correctly will develop personality problems and potentially criminal tendencies
2 points which display the effectiveness/usefulness of Freud’s psychodynamic theory.
- Psychodynamic theories have contributed to research about crime and behaviour. In
particular, the focus on childhood experiences and the importance of them in future behaviour should not be underestimated. - The ID, ego, and superego relate to all different parts of the brain, and their
functions and development. The limbic system is the brains emotion centre, rather like the ID, and the pre-frontal cortex is responsible for rational decision making, just like the ego.
3 cons of Freud’s psychodynamic theory.
- Psychodynamic theories of offending are no longer accredited by psychologists due to the difficulty of testing concepts such as the unconscious mind.
- These theories are very unscientific and lack objective interpretation. It is a very subjective process where different analysts form different conclusions.
- There is a lack of quantitative data from Freud’s case studies. He knew his patients therefore could not be objective. he also psychoanalysed himself, studying his own dreams and childhood memories.
Describe John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment (1944) – ‘Maternal Deprivation Theory’
Bowlby suggested that a child would initially form only one attachment and that attachment figure acted as a secure base for exploring the world. The attachment relationship acts as a prototype for all future social relationships, so disrupting this can have severe consequences.
Violence and crime are, according to Bowlby, disorders of the attachment system. Children who are not properly attached to their primary caregiver or separated from that caregiver at a young age (before 5 years old) may have no concern for the well-being of others. – this results in an inability to bond with others and a lack of empathy.
Explain Bowlby’s 44 thieves study and its results
44 thieves were compared with 44 non-thieves from a delinquency centre. Bowlby collected data via interviews and questionnaires from the 88 juveniles and found that 17/44 thieved had experienced early prolonged separation from their mothers before 5 years old.
15/17 of these thieves were classed as affectionless psychopaths (no guilt/remorse). While only 2/44 non-thieves had experienced such separation. Therefore, these finding support the MDH, as there appears to be a link between disruption to attachment in the first 5 years and later maladjustment.
2 points supporting the effectiveness/usefulness of John Bowlby’s theory of attachment.
- Evidence from studies (44 thieves’ study)- this research is very USEFUL in many ways
- Practical applications- this theory and accompanying research have significant realworld applications, as the highlight the importance of positive attachment experiences and maintaining a strong bond with the primary caregiver In the first 5 years, which have been instrumental in the
development of good childcare practices. Greater stability in childcare practice has been developed through daycare centres assigning caregivers to children and hospital visiting hours have been reviewed so that children can maintain contact with their parents.
3 cons of John Bowlby’s theory of attachment.
- Retrospective recall might be inaccurate- as Bowlby was asking the adolescent participant to recall separations, they had experienced many years ago, their responses would’ve been subject to inaccurate/distortions.
- Oversimplified concept- Michael Rutters (1972) ‘maternal deprivation reassessed critiqued Bowlby’s concept of the maternal deprivation hypothesis’. Rutter argues that Bowlby failed to distinguish between
separation from an attachment figure, loss of attachment figure and a complete lack of attachment (privation). Rutter argues that the three circumstances have different long-term effects which Bowlby overlooked. - Also- even if his study showed correlation, did it really show causality?
