Evaluate the psychodynamic approach in offending behaviour

Strength - research support for the link to the superego

Goreta (1991) conducted a Freudian-style analysis of ten offenders transferred for psychiatric treatment. In all to use assessed, disturbances in superego formation were diagnosed

Each offender experienced the need for punishment manifesting itself as a desire to commit acts of wrongdoing and offend (possibly due to an over-harsh superego)

This evidence seems to support the role of psychic conflicts and over-harsh superego as a basis for offending

Counter point for research support linking to the superego

If this theory were correct we would expect harsh, punitive parents to raise children who often experience guilt. Evidence suggests that opposite is true such as children rarely express guilt (Kochanska et al 2001)

This calls into question the relationship between a strong punitive internal parent and excessive feelings of guilt within the child

Limitation of Freudian theory is gender biased

Psychodynamic theory assumes that girls develop a weaker superego than boys - they do not experience castration anxiety so have less to identify with their mothers.

However, there are 20 times more men than women in prison and Hoffman (1975) found no gender differences in children’s moral behaviour.

This suggests there is alpha bias at the heart of freuds theory and means it may be appropriate as an explanation of offending behaviour

Another limitation is bowlbys theory is based on association

Lewis (1954) analysed 500 interviews with young people maternal deprivation was a poor predictor of future offending and the ability to form close relationships in adolescence.

Even if there is a link there are countless other reasons for it for example maternal deprivation may be due to growing up in poverty.

This suggests that maternal deprivation may be one for later offending behaviour but not the only reason.

Contribution

Psychodynamic explanations were first to link moral behaviour/offending to early childhood and external factors.

However, unconscious concepts are not open to empirical testing argument such as the inadequate super ego can only be judged on their face

This suggests that although so could dynamic explanations have a useful contribution to the debate the lack of credible scientific basis is an issue.

Summary

Strength is research support the link to the super ego goreta 91 Found when analysing 10 offenders who were referred to psychiatric treatment, each offender experience the need for punishing manifesting itself as a desire to act of wrongdoing

A limitation is its gender biased. It’s assumed that girls develop a weaker ego than boys however 20 times more men are than women in person. And Hoffman 75 found no gender differences in children Moral behaviour

Theory is based on association maternal deprivation with poor predictive for future offending and the ability to form close relationships in adolescence