AC2.2 - Individualistic Theories of Criminality
Key Theorists
- Hans J Eysenck (personality theory)
- Sigmund Freud (psychodynamic theory)
- Albert Bandura (social learning theory)
Crime is caused by individual differences based on personality types or experiences
that people have. The root of crime is in an individual’s psychological make-up of the
development processes that they have experienced.
Certain shared traits of criminals
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
- Aggression
- Risk-taking
- Extroversion
Sigmund Freud
- All humans have criminal tendencies
- Most people develop inner controls to help them deal with their urges
- A child who is not brought up correctly may develop personality problems that
cause criminal behaviours
- Three parts to our personality - Id (selfish, animalistic), Superego (conscience
and morality), Ego (rational sensible and control)
Id
- The id is the part of the personality that contains our primitive impulses—such
as thirst, anger, hunger—and the desire for instant gratification or release.
- According to Freud, we are born with our id. The id is an important part of our
personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met.
- Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. The id wants
whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the other
circumstances of the situation.
- The id is sometimes represented by a devil sitting on someone’s shoulder. As
this devil sits there, he tells the ego to base behaviour on how the action will
influence the self, specifically how it will bring the self pleasure.
, Superego
- Is the part of the morality which is the part of the personality which affects the
conscience, the moral part of us.
- It dictates our belief of right and wrong
- It develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our
caregivers
Ego
- The ego is the part of the personality that maintains a balance between our
impulses (our id) and our conscience (our superego).
- The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that other
people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish
can hurt us in the end.
- It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration
the reality of the situation.
- The ego works, in other words, to balance the id and superego.
- The ego is represented by a person, with a devil (the id) on one shoulder and
an angel (the superego) on the other.
Two sources of anxiety
- Desire is not met
- Unconscious desire becomes conscious
Policy Implications of Freudian Theory
- Drawbacks - difficult to test empirically, cannot be directly observed and
measured.
Albert Bandura
- People learn by watching the behaviour of others
- Example - James Bulger’s murder
- It puts the responsibility of the crime on the individual and ignores the social
factors
- These approaches show how criminals think
Case Example - Jeffrey Dahmer
- Killed 17 men
- He had surgery when he was 4 which seemed to change his behaviour
Key Theorists
- Hans J Eysenck (personality theory)
- Sigmund Freud (psychodynamic theory)
- Albert Bandura (social learning theory)
Crime is caused by individual differences based on personality types or experiences
that people have. The root of crime is in an individual’s psychological make-up of the
development processes that they have experienced.
Certain shared traits of criminals
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
- Aggression
- Risk-taking
- Extroversion
Sigmund Freud
- All humans have criminal tendencies
- Most people develop inner controls to help them deal with their urges
- A child who is not brought up correctly may develop personality problems that
cause criminal behaviours
- Three parts to our personality - Id (selfish, animalistic), Superego (conscience
and morality), Ego (rational sensible and control)
Id
- The id is the part of the personality that contains our primitive impulses—such
as thirst, anger, hunger—and the desire for instant gratification or release.
- According to Freud, we are born with our id. The id is an important part of our
personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met.
- Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. The id wants
whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the other
circumstances of the situation.
- The id is sometimes represented by a devil sitting on someone’s shoulder. As
this devil sits there, he tells the ego to base behaviour on how the action will
influence the self, specifically how it will bring the self pleasure.
, Superego
- Is the part of the morality which is the part of the personality which affects the
conscience, the moral part of us.
- It dictates our belief of right and wrong
- It develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our
caregivers
Ego
- The ego is the part of the personality that maintains a balance between our
impulses (our id) and our conscience (our superego).
- The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that other
people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish
can hurt us in the end.
- It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration
the reality of the situation.
- The ego works, in other words, to balance the id and superego.
- The ego is represented by a person, with a devil (the id) on one shoulder and
an angel (the superego) on the other.
Two sources of anxiety
- Desire is not met
- Unconscious desire becomes conscious
Policy Implications of Freudian Theory
- Drawbacks - difficult to test empirically, cannot be directly observed and
measured.
Albert Bandura
- People learn by watching the behaviour of others
- Example - James Bulger’s murder
- It puts the responsibility of the crime on the individual and ignores the social
factors
- These approaches show how criminals think
Case Example - Jeffrey Dahmer
- Killed 17 men
- He had surgery when he was 4 which seemed to change his behaviour
