Akers' Social Learning Theory
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Questions and Answers

What is this theory based on?

A reformulation and extension of Sutherland's theory.

What does the theory argue?

That definitions favorable to crime are important. Crime may be learned through imitation and differential reinforcement.

What does the theory specify?

The learning mechanisms of behavior—how criminal behavior is learned.

This theory is?

<p>One of the leading theories of crime.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does learning refer to?

<p>The acquisition, maintenance, and modification of human behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Four major concepts of social learning theory are ___ , ___ , ___ , and ___

<p>differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement, imitation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is differential association?

<p>The process by which a person is exposed to normative definitions favorable or unfavorable to illegal behavior. It has behavioral, interactional, and normative dimensions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is behavioral interaction?

<p>Direct association and interaction with others who engage in behavior and identification with reference groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is normative?

<p>Exposure to different patterns of norms and values through associations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What else is differential association?

<p>Groups that people associate with expose one to definitions, models to imitate, and differential reinforcements. The greater frequency, duration, priority, and intensity of the association, the greater the effect on behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the most important groups?

<p>Primary groups: family and friends.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are secondary groups?

<p>Church, school, mass media, etc.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are definitions?

<p>One's own attitudes or meanings that are attached to a given behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Approving attitudes toward crime can be:

<p>Neutralizing: justifies through imitation and differential reinforcement</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are common neutralizations of ethical conflict (Sykes and Matza)?

<p>Denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, condemnation of the condemners, appeal to higher loyalties.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is differential reinforcement?

<p>The balance of anticipated or actual rewards or punishments that follow or are consequences of behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can reinforcement be?

<p>Positive: presenting a positive stimuli; Negative: removing an aversive stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Punishments can be?

<p>Direct: presenting an aversive stimuli; Indirect: removing a positive stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Reinforcers and punishers can also be?

<p>Nonsocial: direct physical effects of drugs and alcohol; Social: praise, gaining status, etc.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is imitation?

<p>The engagement of behavior after the observation of similar behavior in others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Social structures are hypothesized to what?

<p>Have an indirect effect on the individual's behavior by affecting the differential associations, definitions, differential reinforcements, and imitations of the individual.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the 4 dimensions of social structure?

<p>Differential social organizations, differential location in the social structure, theoretically defined structural variables, differential social location.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Overview of Akers' Social Learning Theory of Crime

  • Reformulation and extension of Sutherland's theory of differential association.
  • Emphasizes the role of definitions favorable to crime and the processes of imitation and differential reinforcement in learning criminal behavior.

Key Concepts of Social Learning Theory

  • Differential Association:
    • Involves exposure to both favorable and unfavorable norms regarding illegal behavior.
    • Includes behavioral interactional dimensions and normative aspects.
  • Definitions:
    • Personal attitudes and meanings attached to behaviors influence engagement.
    • Approval of a behavior increases likelihood of participation, disapproval decreases it.
  • Differential Reinforcement:
    • Compares anticipated or actual rewards and punishments following behavior.
    • Positive reinforcement encourages behavior, while punishment discourages it.
  • Imitation:
    • Learning through observation of similar behaviors in others, affecting both prosocial and deviant actions.

Mechanisms of Learning Criminal Behavior

  • Learning encompasses acquisition, maintenance, and modification of behavior.
  • Reinforcement can be positive (adding a stimulus) or negative (removing an aversive stimulus).
  • Punishments can be direct (adding an aversive stimulus) or indirect (removing a positive stimulus).

Importance of Social Groups

  • Primary groups (family and friends) significantly influence behavior through direct interactions.
  • Secondary groups (church, school, mass media) also provide exposure to norms and definitions.

Contextual Factors Influencing Behavior

  • Neutralizations: Techniques to justify actions that may conflict with ethical standards, including:
    • Denial of responsibility, injury, and victim.
    • Condemnation of the condemners and appeal to higher loyalties.
  • Social Structures: Indirectly affect individual behavior through influence on associations, definitions, reinforcement, and imitative behaviors.

Dimensions of Social Structure

  • Variations in social organization can lead to differing crime rates (e.g., age composition, population density).
  • Individual's social location impacts their behavior and position within the larger social framework.
  • Theoretical constructs like anomie, class, and oppression also shape behaviors.

Summary of Reinforcement and Punishment

  • Reinforcers can be nonsocial (e.g., effects of drugs) or social (e.g., status, praise).
  • Most learning occurs through social exchanges rather than nonsocial experiences.

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Explore Akers' reformulated social learning theory of crime through these flashcards. Understand the key concepts such as definitions favorable to crime, imitation, and the mechanisms of how criminal behavior is learned. Perfect for students of criminology and sociology.

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