Criminal population

Over the years psychologists have become interested in the reasons why people commit crimes and how they process thoughts differently to others. Some psychologists have looked more into the cognitive, developmental, and personality factors that could contribute to criminal behaviour. When looking at humans and why they commit crimes, the cognitive reasoning is important to consider.

Freud also focused on the personality factors; he focused on the human brain and believed that humans are born with insatiable, demanding instincts which he called the I.D part of the brain. As individuals are socialised into the moral standards of their culture they develop what Freud called, the ego, and in maturity they develop the super ego (which is effectively the personality).