Individualistic theories

• operant conditioning


  learning through consequences, a balance of rewards and punishment result in criminal behaviours
• Skinner's study


  -one wall=leaver gave food to animals when pressed=PR

  -rats given electric shocks=turned off when pressed=NR

  -rats heat turned off when lever pressed=P
• OC strengths


  Can be applied to offending - Jeffrey explains if crime leads to more rewards than punishment, more likely to offend
• OC weaknesses


  -studies use animals- doesn't explain why humans learn criminal behaviour

  -ignores mental processes involved
• social learning theory


  the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished= role model, observation, vr, imitate
• John venebles and Robert Thompson

  10 year olds killed 2 year old James bulger after watching 'child's play 3
• Kray Twins


  Grew up with street fighters for family, who were violent and criminals, making them fight other children and adults later on
• SLT Strengths


  -bobo doll experiment shows models clear effects on child's behaviours- cause + effect

  -study has been replicated with slight changes and similar results found
• SLT weaknesses


  -theories based on lab studies- artificial setting not valid in real life
• differential association theory


  a theory that states individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them who provide models of and opportunities for deviance, making crime seem 'normal' to them-Sutherland
• Farington et al-DAT


  Followed 411 males in south London and found 41% of men aged 8-50 had a criminal record, and found these had family histories of criminality, low levels of education, risk takers
• DAT Strengths


  -Matthew's found juvenile delinquents are more likely to have friends committing anti-social acts-learn from peers

  -people with criminal parents more likely to become criminals themselves-learn tequniques
• DAT Weaknesses


  Not everyone exposed to criminal influences becomes criminal-don't put into practice
• Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development


  Believed ideas of right and wrong develop through a series of levels + stages from childhood to adulthood by using individuals responses to dilemmas
• TMD stages


  Pre-conventional morality, conventional morality, post-conventional morality
• pre-conventional morality


  Age 9, right and wrong defined by what brings rewards/punishment-CRIMINAL
• Conventional morality


  Adolescents/adults, right and wrong defined by what pleases others
• post conventional morality


  10-15% adults, personal values and what's morally right, rather than law
• TMD Strengths


  Some studies show delinquents more likely to have immature moral development
• TMD Weaknesses


  -sample only included men

  -can't be sure people would respond these ways irl

  -some psychologists argue the stages are blurred irl
• Eyesencks personality theory


  believed that certain characteristics/personality traits could be more prone to criminality- extroverted, neurotic,psychotic
• Extroversion/Introversion


  - extroverts=sociable, talkative, crave excitement

  - introverts=quiet, not comfortable with others
• Neuroticism/stability


  - neurotic= anxious, moody, depressed, overreact

  - stable= calm, controlled, unworried
• Psychoticism/normailty


  - psycho=egocentric, aggressive, impulsive, lack empathy

  - normal= selfless, calm, empathetic
• PT Strengths


  Studies support offenders tend to be ENP
• PT weaknesses


  Self-report tequniques=invalid
• Freud's Psychodynamic Theory


  Believes our early childhood experiments determine us and our unconscious mind has a strong influence on our behaviours
• Id


  Pleasure, impulses, desires, instincts
• Ego


  Reality, balance between all
• Superego


  Morality, morals of our action
• Weak superego


  Individual feels less guilt about id's selfish urges and is more likely to commit crime
• Over-harsh superego


  Guilt feeling created, meaning punishment is craved as a release, commit crime to be punished
• Deviant superego


  Socialised into deviant moral codes by parents-criminals won't feel guilty for criminal acts
• Freud strengths


  - examines how individuals are influenced by their upbringing and explains role of nurture

  - positive applications for treatment of criminal behaviours through psychoanalysis and positive parenting
• Freud weaknesses


  - lack of empirical, scientific evidence for existence of id, ego, superego

  - doesn't account for crimes committed by individuals raised by balanced family background
• Bowlby's maternal deprivation hypothesis


  Looked into effects of maternal deprivation during childhood and the need for constant attachment figures to gain stability
• Affectionless psychopathy


  Inability to empathise=criminals
• Bowlby's experiment


  Compared 44 criminals with 44 non-criminals and interviewed them, found 17/44 criminals experienced prolonged separation from mothers, with 15 of these being psychopaths
• Bowlby's strengths


  Research supported this
• Bowlbys weaknesses


  Retrospective study-delinquents and mothers had to recall past events, problems with validity