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L.10

The document explores psychological theories that explain why individuals commit crimes, focusing on behavioral, cognitive, and psychopathic personality theories. Behavioral theory suggests that crime is a learned response influenced by social interactions, while cognitive theory examines how offenders perceive and process information, including moral development. Psychopathic personality traits, characterized by low guilt and manipulativeness, are linked to criminal behavior and may stem from early life experiences and neurological factors.

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7 views2 pages

L.10

The document explores psychological theories that explain why individuals commit crimes, focusing on behavioral, cognitive, and psychopathic personality theories. Behavioral theory suggests that crime is a learned response influenced by social interactions, while cognitive theory examines how offenders perceive and process information, including moral development. Psychopathic personality traits, characterized by low guilt and manipulativeness, are linked to criminal behavior and may stem from early life experiences and neurological factors.

Uploaded by

clintjohnjuanich3
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES

Why do individuals commit crimes? At the same time, why is crime


present in our society? The criminal justice system is very concerned with
these questions, and criminologists are attempting to answer them. In
actuality, the question of why crime is committed is very difficult to
answer. However, for centuries, people have been searching for answers
(Jacoby, 2004). It is important to recognize that there are many different
explanations as to why individuals commit crime (Conklin, 2007). One of
the main explanations is based on psychological theories, which focus on
the association among intelligence, personality, learning, and criminal
behavior. Thus, in any discussion concerning crime causation, one must
contemplate psychological theories.

1. BEHAVIORAL THEORY

This theory maintains that human behavior is developed through learning


experiences. The hallmark of behavioral theory is the notion that people
alter or change their behavior according to the reactions this behavior
elicits in other people (Bandura, 1978). In an ideal situation, behavior is
supported by rewards and extinguished by negative reactions or
punishments. Behaviorists view crimes as learned responses to life's
situations. Social learning theory, which is a branch of branch of behavior
theory, is the most relevant to criminology. The most prominent social
learning theorist is Albert Bandura (1978). Bandura maintains that
individuals are not born with an innate ability to act violently. He
suggested that, in contrast, violence and aggression are learned through a
process of behavior modeling (Bandura, 1977). In other words, children
learn violence through the observation of others. Aggressive acts are
modeled after three primary sources:

(1) family interaction,

(2) environmental experiences, and

(3) the mass media

2. COGNITIVE THEORY

In recent years, significant gains have been made in explaining criminal


behavior within the cognitive theory framework. Here, psychologists focus
on the mental processes of individuals. More important, cognitive theorists
attempt to understand how criminal offenders perceive and mentally
represent the world around them (Knepper, 2001). Germane to cognitive
theory is how individuals solve problems. Two prominent pioneering 19th-
century psychologists are Wilhelm Wundt and William James. Two sub
disciplines of cognitive theory are worthy of discussion. The first sub
discipline is the moral development branch, the focus of which is
understanding how people morally represent and reason about the world.
The second sub discipline is information processing. Here, researchers
focus on the way people acquire, retain, and retrieve information (Siegal,
2009). Ultimately, scholars are concerned with the process of those three
stages (i.e., acquisition, retention, and retrieval). One theory within the
cognitive framework focuses on moral and intellectual development. Jean
Piaget (1896-1980) hypothesized that the individual reasoning process is
developed in an orderly fashion. Thus, from birth onward an individual will
continue to develop. Another pioneer of cognitive theory is Lawrence
Kohlberg (1927-1987), who applied the concept of moral development to
criminological theory. Kohlberg (1984) believed that individuals pass
through stages of moral development. Most important to his theory is the
notion that there are levels, stages, and social orientation.

3. PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY

Antisocial personality, psychopathy, or sociopath is terms used


interchangeably (Siegal, 2009). Sociopaths are often a product of a
destructive home environment. Psychopaths are a product of a defect or
aberration within themselves. The antisocial personality is characterized
by low levels of guilt, superficial charm, above-average intelligence,
persistent violations of the rights of others, incapacity to form enduring
relationships, impulsivity, risk taking, egocentricity, manipulativeness,
forcefulness and cold-heartedness, and shallow emotions (Jacoby, 2004).
The origin may include traumatic socialization, neurological disorder, and
brain abnormality (Siegal, 2008). Interestingly, if an individual suffers from
low levels of arousal as measured by a neurological examination, he or
she may engage in thrill seeking or high-risk behaviors such as crime to
offset their low arousal level. Other dynamics that may contribute to the
psychopathic personality is a parent with pathologic tendencies, childhood
traumatic events, or inconsistent discipline. It is important to note that
many chronic offenders are sociopaths. Thus, if personality traits can
predict crime and violence, then one could assume that the root cause of
crime is found in the forces that influence human development at an early
stage of life (Siegal, 2008).

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