Psychological Underpinnings of Human Conduct and Criminal Tendencies

Per Chapter Chosen
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course number and course name
Instructor’s name
Date
Per Chapter Chosen
From the course text, a chapter of significant interest to me is chapter 7, psychological or trait theories of crimes. The human mind is quite dynamic, and this can always be seen in how people conduct themselves. Human behavior is a direct product of their mental wiring and illustrates their deep-seated or underlying tendencies. From the chosen chapter, relevant ideas learned include models explaining individuals’ criminal behaviors, the current perspective of criminality, and the relationship between mental wellness and the operation of the criminal justice system. The chapter utilizes the works done by famous scholars such as Lawrence Kohlberg and Sigmund Freud to provide a deeper understanding of the psychological underpinnings of human conduct and criminal tendencies.
As stated in the book chapter, most frameworks and crime theories focus on social factors influencing offenders and pay little attention to unique behaviors exhibited by people. Once personalities and mental health connect with external forces from environments, at-risk populations are produced. A remarkable psychological theory of crime was developed by Sigmund Freud whereby he asserted that personality consists of elements such as the ego, id, and superego. Freud’s approach is that when one is confronted by an external event and not ready to accept its destructive effects, then it can destroy the victim's psyche. Freud indicates that the loss encountered in deep-seated sadness or anger might occur from social prohibition. Further, he explains that seeking revenge because of losing the initial emotional investment is likely to promote aggression in one's ego. Moreover, Freud indicates that mental overdrives are quite a force that can be considered a form of the death drive. Therefore, it can be suggested that the occurrence of activities attributed to the superego can quickly drive one to suicide or murderous tende...