Sigmund Freud's Theory of Criminology

Overview on Sigmund Freud's Theory of Criminology by Nitu singh, LLM student, Sharda University

1. SHARDA LAW SCHOOL, GREATER NOIDA PROJECT TOPIC :- SIGMUND FREUD AUSTRIAN PSYCHOANALYST SUBMITTED BY: UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF: NITU SINGH DR . RITU GAUTAM RN: 2019654452; ( ASSISTANT PROFESSOR) PROGRAMME : LL.M. (CRIML .) SEMESTER : II BATCH : 2019- 20

2. Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and founder of Psychoanalysis. He was born on May 6,1856 in town of Czech Republic, Freiberg. Graduated from Medical Faculty, University of Vienna. Died September 23, 1939,  London, England . Is one of the most famous figures of the twentieth century. His often controversial ideas had a major impact on the growing field of psychology and his influence continues to be felt today. In addition to his grand theories of human psychology, he was also a prolific writer, publishing more than 320 different books, articles and essays. About Sigmund Freud

3. Freud’s Models of the Mind Freud’s has model of the human mind. His model divides the mind into three layers, or regions: Conscious: This is where our current thoughts, feelings, and focus live. Preconscious (sometimes called the subconscious): This is the home of everything we can recall or retrieve from our memory. Unconscious: At the deepest level of our minds resides a repository of the processes that drive our behavior, including primitive and instinctual desires.

4. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory The earliest psychological approaches to crime were based on Sigmund Freud's (1870–1937) psychoanalytic theory. Which divided the human personality into id, ego, and superego. The id described all the instinctual drives that come from our biological heritage. Criminality largely was explained as a failure of the superego, a consequence of a failure to form healthy and loving attachments to parents. The actions and behavior of an adult are understood in terms of childhood development. Behavior and unconscious motives are intertwined, and their interaction must be unraveled if we are to understand criminality. Criminality is essentially a representation of psychological conflict."

5. According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex and has more than a single component . In his famous psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements. These three elements of personality known as:   1. the id 2. the ego   3. the superego This theory is known as Freud’s structural theory of personality. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind that places great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological conflicts in shaping behavior and personality.

6. Freud’s Structure of the Human Mind According to Freud, our personality develops from the interactions among the three fundamental structures of the human mind: the id, ego, and superego . Conflicts among these three structures and our efforts to find balance among what each of them “ desires”, determines how we behave and approach the world. What balance we strike in any given situation determines how we will resolve the conflict between two overarching behavioral tendencies: our biological aggressive and pleasure-seeking drives vs. our socialized internal control over those drives.

7. About the “ id ” The id operates at an unconscious level and focuses solely on instinctual drives and desires.  The id , the most primitive of the three structures, is concerned with instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges. It operates entirely unconsciously (outside of conscious thought). For example, if your id walked past a stranger eating ice cream, it would most likely take the ice cream for itself. It doesn’t know, or care, that it is rude to take something belonging to someone else; it would care only that you wanted the ice cream . The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension. For example, an increase in hunger or thirst should produce an immediate attempt to eat or drink . The id is very important early in life because it ensures that an infant's needs are met. If the infant is hungry or uncomfortable, he or she will cry until the demands of the id are satisfied.

8. The “ Ego ” The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The ego functions in both the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind . It’s what Freud considered to be the “self,” and its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the practical context of reality. So , if you walked past the stranger with ice cream one more time, your ego would mediate the conflict between your id (“I want that ice cream right now”) and superego (“It’s wrong to take someone else’s ice cream”) and decide to go buy your own ice cream. While this may mean you have to wait 10 more minutes, which would frustrate your id, your ego decides to make that sacrifice as part of the compromise– satisfying your desire for ice cream while also avoiding an unpleasant social situation and potential feelings of shame.

9. The “ Superego” The   superego  is concerned with social rules and morals—similar to what many people call their ” conscience ” or their “moral compass.” It develops as a child learns what their culture considers right and wrong. If your superego walked past the same stranger, it would not take their ice cream because it would know that that would be rude. However , if both your id  and your superego were involved, and your id was strong enough to override your superego’s concern, you would still take the ice cream, but afterward you would most likely feel guilt and shame over your actions . Freud believed that the id, ego, and superego are in constant conflict and that adult personality and behavior are rooted in the results of these internal struggles throughout childhood. He believed that a person who has a strong ego has a healthy personality and that imbalances in this system can lead to neurosis (what we now think of as anxiety and depression) and unhealthy behaviors.

10. Psychosexual Stages of Development Freud believed that the nature of the conflicts among the id, ego, and superego change over time as a person grows from child to adult . Specifically, he maintained that these conflicts progress through a series of five basic stages, each with a different focus: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. He called his idea the psychosexual theory of development, with each psychosexual stage directly related to a different physical center of pleasure.

11. Defense Mechanisms Freud believed these three parts of the mind are in constant conflict because each part has a different primary goal. Sometimes , when the conflict is too much for a person to handle, his or her ego may engage in one or many defense mechanisms to protect the individual . Freud's take on defense mechanisms still holds relevance.

12. These defense mechanisms include: Repression : The ego pushes disturbing or threatening thoughts out of one’s consciousness; Denial: The ego blocks upsetting or overwhelming experiences from awareness, causing the individual to refuse to acknowledge or believe what is happening; Projection: The ego attempts to solve discomfort by attributing the individual’s unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and motives to another person; Displacement: The individual satisfies an impulse by acting on a substitute object or person in a socially unacceptable way (e.g . releasing frustration directed toward your boss on your spouse instead); Regression: As a defense mechanism, the individual moves backward in development in order to cope with stress (e.g . an overwhelmed adult acting like a child); Sublimation: Similar to displacement, this defense mechanism involves satisfying an impulse by acting on a substitute but in a socially acceptable way (e.g . channeling energy into work or a constructive hobby).

13. The Interpretation of Dreams Another well-known concept from Freud was his belief in the significance of dreams. He believed that analyzing one’s dreams can give valuable insight into the unconscious mind. In 1900, Freud published the book The Interpretation of Dreams in which he outlined his hypothesis that the primary purpose of dreams was to provide individuals with wish fulfillment, allowing them to work through some of their repressed issues in a situation free from consciousness and the constraints of reality. In this book, he also distinguished between the manifest content (the actual dream) and the latent content (the true or hidden meaning behind the dream ). The purpose of dreams is to translate forbidden wishes and taboo desires into a non-threatening form through condensation (the joining of two or more ideas), displacement (transformation of the person or object we are concerned about into something or someone else), and secondary elaboration (the unconscious process of turning the wish-fulfillment images or events into a logical narrative ).

14. Freud’s ideas about dreams were game-changing. Before Freud, dreams were considered insignificant and insensible ramblings of the mind at rest . His book provoked a new level of interest in dreams, an interest that continues to this day.

15. Drive theory Drive theory is based on the principle that organisms are born with certain psychological needs and that a negative state of tension is created when these needs are not satisfied. When a need is satisfied, drive is reduced and the organism returns to a state of homeostasis and relaxation.

16. Influential Books by Sigmund Freud Studies on Hysteria (1895) The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901) Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905) Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905) Totem and Taboo (1913) On Narcissism ( 1914) Introduction to Psychoanalysis (1917) Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920)…etc.

17. Criticism of Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory One of the largest criticisms of the psychoanalytic theory is that it places far to much emphasis on childhood. For one, Freud's theory says that personality development occurs during childhood, but many modern psychologists say that this development is lifelong. Freud's emphasis on sexual urges as a primary motivator. Freud's negative view of human nature.  Freud's belief that personality was shaped entirely by early childhood experiences. Freud's  lack of emphasis on social and cultural influences on behavior and personality.

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