Trait Theories: Psychological SOC 112 Chapter 5 Part 17

Early Theories 1.Criminal behavior - originates primarily in personality - not from environmental / situational factors a. Early psychologists - intelligence trait - intelligence trait - explain criminal behavior - explain criminal behavior - inherited - inherited b. Family studies - source of data - source of data

Early, cont. - cause: mental retardation - cause: mental retardation c. “Demonology” - most popular - most popular (1) Evil spirits (1) Evil spirits - spirits eliminated - spirits eliminated (2) Medieval times (2) Medieval times - “trephinning” - “trephinning” - let evil spirits escape - let evil spirits escape

Early, cont. (3) “Exorcism” (3) “Exorcism” - drinking concoctions - priest / prophet praying - strange noises (4) Insult spirits (4) Insult spirits - body unpleasant (5) Devil / witchcraft (15 th century) (5) Devil / witchcraft (15 th century) - own free will - imposed death

Early, cont. c. 18 th century c. 18 th century - began developing knowledge - began developing knowledge - human anatomy / medicine / neurology / - human anatomy / medicine / neurology / physiology / chemistry physiology / chemistry (1) Time of discovery (1) Time of discovery - physical illnesses - physical illnesses - mental illnesses - mental illnesses (2) Replaced demonology (2) Replaced demonology - theory of “causation” (1915) - theory of “causation” (1915)

Early, cont. d. 20 th century - psychological problems - psychological problems - new viewpoint - new viewpoint - study of criminality - study of criminality (1) Psychoanalysis of the day (1) Psychoanalysis of the day - concept of the unconscious - concept of the unconscious - probe the personality - probe the personality (2) Criminal tendencies (2) Criminal tendencies - learn to control (socialization) - learn to control (socialization)

Early, cont. (3) Improperly socialized (3) Improperly socialized - no abilities to control - no abilities to control - acts out - acts out - projects inward - projects inward 3.Psychology / psychiatric approaches - criminal behavior = personalities a. Psychiatry - from medical doctors - from medical doctors - mental disease problems - mental disease problems

Psychiatry, cont. b. Defined: “A field of medicine that specializes in the “A field of medicine that specializes in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental problems” prevention of mental problems” - divided into two categories: - divided into two categories: (1) Organic (1) Organic - traced to physical problem - traced to physical problem - head injury / distorted vision / disease - head injury / distorted vision / disease (2) Functional (2) Functional

Psychiatry, cont. - strange behavior - strange behavior - no known organic problem - no known organic problem 4.Psychoanalysis - branch of psychiatry - Sigmund Freud’s theories - particular treatment method a. Recent development - Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) - Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) - Alfred Adler ( Alfred Adler (

Approach, cont. - Carl Jung (1875 – 1961) - Carl Jung (1875 – 1961) b. Psychological approaches - not only mental aspect - not only mental aspect - behavioral characteristics - behavioral characteristics (1) Various approaches (1) Various approaches - connecting themes - connecting themes - unique personality - unique personality (2) To be understood: case study (2) To be understood: case study

Approach, cont. c. Applied to crime causation - emotional problem / mental disorder - emotional problem / mental disorder - sociopathic personality / thinking patterns - sociopathic personality / thinking patterns 5.Psychoanalytic theories - Sigmund Freud a. Background - Friedberg, Moravia / Jewish parents - Friedberg, Moravia / Jewish parents - University of Vienna (1881) - University of Vienna (1881) - physiology: Vienna General Hospital - physiology: Vienna General Hospital

Freud, cont. - neuropathology professor: medical school - neuropathology professor: medical school - controversial / influential person - controversial / influential person b. Not discuss criminal behavior - want to be caught - want to be caught - punished (own worst) - punished (own worst) (1) Focused on pathological (1) Focused on pathological - not healthy part - not healthy part (2) Aggression / violence = instinct (2) Aggression / violence = instinct

Freud, cont. (3) Death wish (3) Death wish - source of “aggressive impulses” - source of “aggressive impulses” - expressed: - expressed: (a) Directly – injure / kill ourselves (a) Directly – injure / kill ourselves (b) Indirectly – hunting animals (b) Indirectly – hunting animals (c) Sublimated: injure others (c) Sublimated: injure others - sadomasochism - sadomasochism

Freud, cont. (4) Marquis de Sade (French aristocrat) (4) Marquis de Sade (French aristocrat) - sadistic: enjoys inflicting pain - sadistic: enjoys inflicting pain (5) Sacher Masoch (Polish baron) (5) Sacher Masoch (Polish baron) - masochist: enjoys receiving pain c. Basis of criminal activity - “guilt” - “guilt” (1) Oedipus conflict (1) Oedipus conflict - kill father / marry mother - kill father / marry mother

Freud, cont. - hidden desire / similar behavior - hidden desire / similar behavior - “Electra” complex - “Electra” complex (2) Freudian premise: (2) Freudian premise: - incest: basic human desire 6.Basis of the personality - “self” - three components: a. Id

Freud, cont. - primary / rash / impulsive part - primary / rash / impulsive part - pleasure / pain principle - pleasure / pain principle - hedonistic: unresponsible / insensitive - hedonistic: unresponsible / insensitive - libido: sexual energy - libido: sexual energy b. Ego - sensible / responsible - sensible / responsible - reality principle - reality principle - external situation / adjusts - external situation / adjusts - represses unacceptable into unconscious - represses unacceptable into unconscious

Freud, cont. c. Superego - “conscience” - “conscience” - pride / shame / guilt - pride / shame / guilt - moral faculty / sets standards - moral faculty / sets standards d. Three levels of the mind: (1) Unconscious (1) Unconscious - not experienced as thoughts - not experienced as thoughts (2) Preconscious (2) Preconscious

Freud, cont. - memories - memories (3) Conscious (3) Conscious - daily thoughts - daily thoughts 7.Human development phases - stages humans go through a. Oral (first stage) - infancy - infancy - first year of life - first year of life

Freud, cont. - child antisocial - child antisocial - primitive urges - sadistic / cannibalistic b. Anal (second) - until 3 years old - until 3 years old - stubborn / spiteful / cruel - stubborn / spiteful / cruel c. Phallic - genitals major focus - genitals major focus - until age 6 - until age 6

Freud, cont. d. Latency - age 6 to puberty (12) - age 6 to puberty (12) - no urges - no urges e. Neophallic - preteen - preteen - obsessed: genitals / sex / oral-anal urges - obsessed: genitals / sex / oral-anal urges  Invented psychoanalysis technique - caused by traumatic experiences

Freud, cont. - early childhood - early childhood - not consciously aware of - not consciously aware of a. “Free association” - patient relaxed - patient relaxed - whatever came to mind - whatever came to mind b. Explored associations - reconstruct earlier events - reconstruct earlier events - consciousness - consciousness