Criminology 104-lecture 6 outline PDF

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SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

THE CHRONOLOGICAL PROGRESSION 1. Sutherland’s differential association theory 1942 2. Skinner’s operant conditioning 1953 3. Sykes & Matza’s techniques of neutralization 1957 4. Burgess & Akers differential association-reinforcement theory 1966 5. Akers’ social learning theory 1973

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION 

Introduced by Edwin Sutherland

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Was a professor at University of Chicago for five years.

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Rejected notion that crime was caused by “criminal type” or “psychopathology”

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Said criminal behavior was learned, and that it was the social context that contributed to criminal behavior.

NINE PROPOSITIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION 

Criminal behavior is learned

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Learned in a process of interaction with others

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Principal part of learning occurs within intimate personal groups

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Learning includes:

1. Techniques of committing crimes 2. Motives, rationalizations, and attitudes

NINE PROPOSITIONS cont. 

Learn definitions of legal codes as favorable or unfavorable

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Become delinquent through excess of definitions favorable to criminal activity

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Differential associations may differ in intensity, duration and frequency over time

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Involves same mechanisms as other types of learning

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Needs and values much the same for delinquents and non-delinquents

OPERANT CONDITIONING B. F. Skinner set out principles of operant conditioning, operant behavior and operant extinction in 1953, Science and Human Behavior.

REWARD AND PUNISHMENT Reward Punishment

WHY IS IT CALLED “OPERANT” CONDITIONING? 

Behaviour has its “effects” by “operating” on environment or other people.

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Behaviour learned through operant reinforcement can be unlearned through combination of extinction and reinforcement of alternative behaviours.

OPERANT CONDITIONING cont. 

Behaviour learned through “law of effect”.

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Behaviours that bring about desirable effects (e.g., comfort, sex, food, spanking), likely to be repeated

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Behaviours that bring about undesirable effects (e.g., loss, pain, etc.) unlikely to be repeated

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Law of effect reflects impact of reward and punishment.

WHAT IS IT THAT THEY LEARN? 

Sykes & Matza begin 1957 article by acknowledging Sutherland’s statement that criminal behavior “is learned in the process of interaction”.

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Tried to explain the part of the process that involved learning the rationalizations that go along with being a criminal.

SYKES AND MATZA 

Unlike Albert Cohen, Sykes and Matza argue that criminals argue that criminals know that what they are doing is wrong, and do experience shame

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Use techniques of neutralization (rationalization) to justify or explain away their behavior.

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Denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners, appeal to higher loyalties.

THE MAIN PROPONENTS 

C. Ray Jeffery (1965). “Criminal Behaviour and Learning Theory”.

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Robert Burgess and Ronald Akers (1966). “A Differential AssociationReinforcement Theory of Criminal Behaviour”.

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Ronald Akers (1973). Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach.

AND OTHER INFLUENCES… 

Jeffrey and Akers both influenced by B. F. Skinner’s operant conditioning.

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Also influenced by Sutherland’s differential association.

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Both published their earlier articles as elaboration on Sutherland’s claim that criminal behavior is learned.

REINFORCEMENT 

With operant conditioning/social learning theory, behaviour is product of reinforcement and punishment.

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Positive reinforcement = reward for desired behaviour.

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Negative reinforcement = not taking something away if individual behaves in desired manner.

PUNISHMENT Positive punishment

Negative punishment: take away sth that is desirable

DISCRIMINATING STIMULI 

Discriminating stimuli = cues or signals that tell an individual whether behavior is likely to reinforced/punished.

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Not a response to a particular behavior.

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Exist before and during the behavior.

IMITATION OR MODELING 

Albert Bandura one of most well known theorists on imitation or modeling of behavior.

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Said that we learn our behaviour by observing others, and seeing whether their behavior is reinforced or punished.

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Also learn from watching the movies and TV.

DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT THEORY 

Jeffery’s social learning theory much more “psychological” in nature.

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Said that stimulus would be more or less reinforcing

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By mid-70s, Jeffery saying that reinforcement lies in the pain and pleasure centres in the brain

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By late 80s, saying that people were born with particular biological or psychological characteristics, which made up their “nature” or “character”.

AKERS’ SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 

Attempting to specify the mechanisms and processes through which criminal values are learned/transmitted.

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For Akers, the social environment was main source of reinforcement (influence of Sutherland and symbolic interactionism).

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Said that deviance was learned through social interaction, and that individuals learn definitions that become discriminating stimuli.

POSITIVE AND NEUTRALIZING DEFINITIONS 

Positive definitions refer to positive reinforcement-certain behavior is approved, and will be rewarded.

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Neutralizing definitions: how to avoid punishment, how to justify/excuse/rationalize criminal behavior.

DIFFERENTIAL SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT 

Social reinforcements (or positive consequences) encourage individuals to continue in a life of crime.

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The more persistent and stronger those social reinforcements (positive consequences) are, the more likely it is that the delinquent behavior will continue....