Rational Decision-Making Theory Paper

While the RAT focus on the environmental context in which crimes occur, or simply put, that potential offenders are likely to commit a crime because there is a target, and no social control embodied in some sort of supervision, Gelder argues that there is nuanced rational decision-making process, feelings, and this is what will be examined as a potential explanation in the following. According to Gelder there are two basic, cognitive ways for an individual in a criminal decision-making process – cool and hot (Gelder 2013). The cool decision-making process is characterized as the mode where the individual are keen to consideration of sanctions, guilt and other social and formal controls (Gelder 2013). Furthermore it is in this mode that the individual is most likely to consider the cost and benefit of the actions he or she is about to do. Therefore it is the mode responsible for a more controlled decision-making process, and lays close to the rational choice theory (Gelder 2013). The hot decision-making process is characterized by its spontaneity and intuitive approach, as the individual is more prone to be …show more content…
This implies that the decision-making process of the hot mode is heavily based on stimuli and as such will not consider long-term consequences (Gelder 2013). In relation to drug-use Gelder quotes Loewenstein on the matter of how drug addicts knows that “taking the drug is the wrong course of action, but is unable to translate this belief into action” (Gelder 2013:756), which shows that the spontaneous reaction to stimulus of the hot mode can decide the course of actions, despite the individual knowing the consequences of the