What Is The Cost-Benefit Analysis?

Previous research has focused on developing theories as to why individuals continue to come to the decision to commit crimes. One of the most influential theories discussing the issue at hand is rational choice theory. This theory, was first introduced by Cesare Beccaria and concluded that offenders often weight the costs and benefits of a crime before committing the deviant act, however, recent ethnographic research suggests otherwise. This research suggests that the cost-benefits analyst is not a static process, therefore indicating that, researchers should possibly consider how an offender’s lifestyle, life situations, and criminal experience influence the subjective value they assign to risks and rewards. An individuals lifestyle definite influences on the value they assign to the risk and reward of a crime. For example, Jacobs and Wright (1999) stated that, “Motivation is the central, yet …show more content…
Obviously, persons commit crimes because they are motivated to do so, and virtually no offense can occur in the absence of motivation” (As cited in Dabney, 2014, p. 150). When an individuals lifestyle is at risk, it can be quite influential on an individual subjective value in which they assign to risk and rewards. For example, Jacobs and Wright (1999) noted that one of the primary motivations for offenders to take part in street robbery were to keep up with appearances. According to Jacobs and Wright (1999), “The open ended pursuit of sensory stimulation was but one way these offenders enacted the imperatives of street culture. No less important was the fetishized consumption of personal, nonessential status enhancing items” (As cited in Dabney, 2014, p. 152). In order to adhere with the code of the