Psychology Chapter on Freud and Crime

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Questions and Answers

According to Freud, what is the main force behind the "id"?

The pleasure principle (correct)

The reality principle

Social norms

The conscience

Which of the following is NOT a psychosexual stage of human development, according to Freud?

Anal

Cognitive (correct)

Oral

Genital

What is the primary role of the "ego"?

To control and repress all instinctual drives

To balance the demands of the "id" and the "superego" while considering reality (correct)

To act as the moral compass and internalize societal values

To satisfy the "id"'s" desires without regard for consequences

Which of the following is considered a stage of development where a child begins to experience sexual feelings for their parent of the opposite gender?

Phallic Stage (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which stage of Freud's theory of psychosexual development is characterized by the child gaining pleasure through the control and elimination of bodily wastes?

Anal Stage (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does Freud suggest is a potential cause of criminality?

An overactive "superego" causing excessive guilt and a desire to seek punishment (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary driving force behind the "Eros" instinct?

The urge to survive and reproduce (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the "superego" shape an individual's moral development?

By internalizing societal values and moral codes (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the absence of social norms?

Anomie (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to Emile Durkheim, what is the role of crime in society?

Crime is a normal and inevitable part of society. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of anomie?

Increased respect for authority (D) Signup and view all the answers

The theory of imitation, as proposed by Gabriel Tarde, suggests that individuals become criminals through:

Observing and mimicking the behavior of others. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the Ecological or Cartographic School of Criminology?

Geographical and spatial patterns of crime. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term "copycat crime" refer to?

Crimes inspired by media portrayals or fictional accounts. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the Thermic Law, what is the relationship between crime and temperature?

Crime rates are highest during hot weather. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following individuals is considered the "Father of Modern Sociological and Psychological Statistics"?

Adolphe Quetelet (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the focus of criminal psychology?

The analysis of how criminal behavior is learned, triggered, sustained, and altered. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided text, what is a potential consequence of hypoglycemia?

Impaired brain function and a propensity towards violent crime. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is a term used to describe a false perception without an external stimulus that might indicate approaching insanity?

Hallucination (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was a surprising finding in Schauss’s study comparing the nutrition of delinquents and non-delinquents?

Delinquents drank more milk than non-delinquents. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What did Dalton's study on 'Menstruation and Crime' highlight about female inmates?

A large proportion of crimes committed by female inmates occurred during menstruation or premenstruation periods. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the collective term for mental disorders that start around puberty and often lead to general failure of mental abilities, along with physiological impairments?

Dementia Praecox (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the focus of biochemical theories of crime?

Link between diet, hormones, allergies, and crime. (B) Signup and view all the answers

An 'alienist' is best defined as:

A specialist in the study of mental disorders. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of disorganized communities?

Deteriorated housing conditions (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does Strain Theory suggest is the primary cause of crime?

Conflict between individual goals and available means (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which adaptation to strain involves pursuing culturally approved goals through unacceptable means?

Innovation (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the process where sub-cultural values are passed down from one generation to another?

Cultural Transmission (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of individual in Strain Theory is characterized as a social dropout who withdraws from society?

Retreatist (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a common indicator of social disorganization?

High rates of single-parent households (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does Cultural Deviance Theory emphasize regarding the behavior of lower-class individuals?

Creation of their own sub-cultural values and norms (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which adaptation to strain results in rejecting both societal goals and means?

Rebellion (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Mental defectiveness (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea of the section "Intelligence as a Factor in Criminality"?

Low intelligence can be inherited and is a factor in criminal tendencies. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the Differential Association Theory primarily suggest about criminal behavior?

Criminal behavior is learned through socialization and interaction. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, which of the following is considered a "moral defective"?

A person who exhibits strong criminal tendencies. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which theory emphasizes the reaction of others as a determinant of individual behavior?

Differential Reinforcement Theory (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between an Imbecile and a Feeble-Minded person?

The severity of their mental defectiveness (A) Signup and view all the answers

Neutralization Theory is associated with which key concept?

The rationalization and justification of wrongful acts. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of criminality?

The moral defective (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main premise of Social Reaction Theory?

Labeling individuals as criminals results in the acceptance of that label by the individual. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Alfred Binet's IQ test?

It was the first successful attempt to measure individual intelligence. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In Social Control Theories, what is considered a primary reason that most people do not engage in criminal behavior?

Strong societal bonds and controls. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what is the primary symptom of a person classified as an Idiot?

Inability to protect oneself from danger (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which sub-theory of Social Control emphasizes the importance of both inner and outer containment?

Containment Theory (B) Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn from the studies of the Juke and Kallikak families?

Mental defectiveness can be inherited across generations. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Behavior is shaped by the consequences that follow the actions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role do significant others play in labeling theory?

They can label an individual, leading to acceptance of that label. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Theories of Crime Causation

Biological theories propose that physical, physiological, and other natural factors cause criminal behavior in certain individuals. These theories suggest criminal traits are linked to physical defects or impairments.

Physiognomy

Physiognomy is the study of facial features and their relationship to human behavior.
Giambiatista della Porta, a founder of physiognomy, believed criminal behavior could be predicted from facial characteristics.
Johann Kaspar Lavater supported this idea, claiming a person's character was revealed through their facial features.

Phrenology

Phrenology, craniology, or cranioscopy studies the external skull formation in relation to personality and tendencies toward criminal behavior.
Franz Joseph Gall developed cranioscopy, later renamed phrenology.
Johann Kaspar Spurzheim, an assistant to Gall, helped popularize and spread phrenology.

Physiology/Somatotype

Physiology, or somatotype, examines the body build of an individual in relation to their temperament, personality, and the types of crimes they are prone to commit.
Ernst Kretschmer developed body types: asthenic, athletic, pyknic, and dysplastic.
William Sheldon identified body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.
Earnest Hooton studied the body types of criminals, suggesting links between certain body types and specific crimes. He believed criminals were inherently inferior and crime was environmentally influenced.

Heredity

Heredity is the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
Karyotype studies examine and compare chromosomes to understand how traits are passed down.
Some studies, like those focusing on XYY syndrome, suggest a correlation between certain genetic conditions and crime risk.

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature theory argues that intelligence is a genetic trait.
Nurture theory emphasizes environmental factors in shaping behavior, such as family, upbringing, social interactions, surroundings, and culture.

Psychological Theories

Psychological theories attribute criminal behavior to psychological factors, such as mental illness, defective conscience, emotional immaturity, inadequate childhood socialization, or maternal deprivation.
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory suggests that imbalances among the id, ego, and superego can cause criminality. The id seeks pleasure, the ego seeks reality, and the superego is the conscience.
A fixed person exhibits behavior tied to unresolved conflicts from childhood. Different psychosexual stages of development (oral, anal, phallic) play roles in adulthood.

Common Types of Insanity/Mental Disorders

Dementia Praecox - A collective term for mental disorders beginning in or shortly after puberty, leading to impaired mental and physiological functions (Schizophrenia).
Manic Depressive - characterized by mania, and mental depression.
paralysis - condition of helpless inactivity or inability to act.
Senile - mental deterioration accompanying old age (Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease).
Alienist - specialist in the study of mental disorders.
Hallucination - false perception without an external object, indicative of mental derangement, intoxication or fever.
Delusion - false belief despite evidence.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - developmental condition involving hyperactivity, impulsivity and lack of attention.

Classes of Mental Deficiency

Idiots - individuals with mental defects impacting self-preservation against physical danger.
Imbeciles - individuals with mental defects preventing self-management.
Feeble-minded Persons - individuals with mental defects requiring care, supervision, and control.
Moral Defectiveness - individuals with mental deficiency and strong vicious or criminal tendencies.

Intelligence as a Factor in Criminality

Classic studies of families like the Juke and Kallikak families showed potential for inheritance of feeblemindedness or low intelligence.
The development of IQ tests was influenced by these studies. IQ tests were originally used on convicted offenders to assess low mental capabilities and abilities.

Alfred Binet

Alfred Binet developed the first IQ test. This test measured the capacity of children to perform and solve, in direct relation to other peers.

Sociological Theories

Sociological theories emphasize environmental factors and social interactions in shaping criminal behavior.
Emile Durkheim's anomie theory suggests that the absence of social norms can lead to social disorder and crime.
Gabriel Tarde's theory of imitation proposes that people imitate the behavior of those around them, including criminals.
Adolphe Quetelet was a founder of the cartographic school of criminology and moral statistics. He focused on gathering data and applying it to criminology.
Andre Guerry advanced the study of crime mapping.

Social Structure theories not only focus on physical characteristics of a community but also on the social organization and levels of poverty and unemployment.
This theory combines elements of economic and social conditions to understand their impact on crime.
Social Disorganization Theory - a theory proposing crimes are prevalent in urban areas due to impersonal relationships.
Strain Theory - crime is a conflict between the goals people have, and acceptable ways to obtain them.
Cultural Deviance Theory - those in the lower classes feel isolated, due to poverty.

Social process theories suggest that the individual's socialization process influences their behavior, especially their exposure to elements in the environment.
Differential Association Theory - criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and communication.
Differential Reinforcement Theory - suggests that an individual's behavior depends on interactions/reactions of those around them (conditioning theory), which reward or punish it.
Neutralization Theory - people rationalize their criminal acts.

Social Reaction (Labeling) Theory suggests that people become criminals when labeled as such by significant members of society. This label shapes their sense of identity.

Social control theories propose that everyone has the potential to be criminal, but social controls prevent most people from engaging in criminal behavior. Social control comes from family, school, religion, church, government, and laws.
Containment Theory - explains how inner and outer factors prevent criminal behavior (Walter Reckless). Inner factors (values, self-concept) and outer factors (family and community).
Social Bond Theory - (Travis Hirschi) suggests crime occurs when bonds to social institutions are weak. Four elements (attachment, commitment, involvement, belief) hold individuals back from crime.

Additional Points

Copycat Crime - when a criminal act is inspired by a previous crime that received publicity.
Thermic Law - crime-related propensity influenced by temperature and weather (e.g., hotter months more crimes against people, colder months more crimes against properties).
Albert Adler - suggests that criminality is the result of inferiority complex and a drive for power and superiority over others.
Erik Erikson - suggests that inadequacy in identity crisis or deficient sense of inferiority/inadequacy causes criminal behavior.
Erich Fromm - criminality comes from the need for belongingness, security, and freedom.

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Description

Explore key concepts in Freud's theories of personality and development with this quiz. Test your knowledge on the id, ego, superego, psychosexual stages, and the sociological perspective on crime. Dive into the interplay between psychological forces and societal norms.