Learning Theories - Advanced Criminology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Criminology

Download Learning Theories - Advanced Criminology - Lecture Slides and more Slides Criminology in PDF only on Docsity! Learning Theories docsity.com A Life of Crime? • Could you go out tomorrow and embark on a life of crime? What would you do? How would you do it? docsity.com Differential Association Theory 4. Learning includes a. Techniques (important for some crimes) b. Motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes 5. Criminals are people who learn to define the legal code as unfavorable docsity.com The Heart of Differential Association Theory 6. Crime results from an excess of definitions favorable to law violations over definitions unfavorable to law violations (a ratio) - Depends, to a degree, on opportunities for associations present in the larger context docsity.com Differential Association Theory 7. Differential associations vary in frequency, duration, temporal priority, and intensity 8. Learning crime is the same as learning anything else 9. Criminal and noncriminal behavior are the result of learned needs and values (desire for material success) docsity.com Social Learning Theory • What makes differential association work? – Sutherland: learned attitudes -> behavior – Not supported by War and Stafford (1991) • Akers’ answer: Social Learning Theory – Behavior is influenced by its consequences – Rewards and punishments determine crime • Soft behaviorism – cognitive appraisal docsity.com Four Principles of Social Learning Theory • Differential association with others – We learn behaviors and norms • Definitions – We learn moral attitudes about right & wrong – Include neutralizations & rationalizations • Differential Reinforcement – Lifetime balance of anticipated or actual rewards and punishments -> probability of behavior • Imitation – Explains onset of behavior, but not persistence docsity.com Questions • How would social learning theory explain white collar crime? – Street crime, drug dealing, robbery – Sex crimes, rape, child molestation – Minor crimes, shoplifting docsity.com