Social Learning theory
Social Learning theory
Author
Institution
Introduction
Understanding the genesis of criminal behavior has been one of the most fundamental things as far as understanding its occurrence is concerned. It has been well acknowledged that criminal behavior has a negative effect on the fortunes of any nation. In essence, many psychologists have dedicated quite a lot of effort in researching on its occurrence, and come up with varied theories that explain the same. Two of the most popular theories are the Social Learning Theory and the Differential Association Theory. Social Learning Theory explains that individuals learn from each other through modeling, imitation and observation (Akers et al, 1984). It encompasses three aspects including motivation, memory and attention. The theory explains human behavior as a persistent reciprocal interaction between environmental, behavioral and cognitive influences. Sutherland seemed to support this theory through his Differential Association Theory, which states that criminal behavior is learnt in line with operant conditioning principles, which may involve varied processes including extinction, stimulus control, conditioning and shaping. Ronald Akers, on the other hand, extended the social learning theory by underlining the importance of attitudes towards crime. He stated that, in most cases, individuals learn certain behaviors from other people and then the behavior is reinforced (Akers et al, 1984). In essence, the magnitude of positive reinforcement determines the discontinuation and continuation of this behavior (Akers et al, 1984).
These attitudes are extremely crucial in explaining criminal behavior as they underline the role of the environment in propagating certain behaviors. They underline the fact that while behaviors may be learnt from a certain environment, their ability to take root in an individual is dependent on the motivation or incentives that the individual gets from the environment. This, therefore, informs concerned parties on the actions that they should take in order to promote or discourage the occurrence of certain behaviors.
References
Akers, R., Lanza-Kaduce, L., Krohn, M.D & Radosevich, M (1984). “Cessation of Alcohol and Drug Use Among Adolescents: A Social Learning Model.” Deviant Behavior, 5:79-96.
