Psychological theory views brain injury, trauma, childhood experiences, and deficits in the brain, or incomplete cognitive development, as factors influencing behavior. In large, psychological theories are concerned with individual’s psychological characteristics, including, personality, patterns of thoughts, aggression, development and learning, and how improper development or psychological deficit can affect individuals and lead to criminal behavior.
Vold’s states that there are two types of psychological theories: one that focus on intelligence and another on personality (p. 65). Psychological theories that focuses on intelligence often use IQ scores to assess human intelligence. According to Vold’s, low intelligence has been the psychological …show more content…
Also, offenders tend to lack ambition, motivation, have difficulty controlling their impulses and hold nontraditional and unconventional values and beliefs (Vold’s, p. 74). Anderson (as citied in Jacoby, Severance & Bruce, 2012), elaborates on values and how they impact criminality. Anderson employed the culture of poverty argument to explain class inequality. Culture of poverty views poverty as a cycle in which the poor remain poor as a result of the adaptations they make when stuck in poverty (pp. 130-140). The authors talk about two distinct families: decent families and street families. He states that decent families conform/accept mainstream values and attempt to instill them in their children, while street operate on different/oppositional values. They lack consideration for other people and often advocate a culture of violence. Examples of advocating a culture of violence include, hitting one’s child as an acceptable form of punishment, telling a child “if somebody messes with you, you got to pay them back”, and insisting that a child not come home crying after losing in a fight (p. 134). As a result, children from street families grow up utilizing violence as a means of survival and establishing …show more content…
It is important for them to learn manners at an early age. When children are raised surrounded by individuals with no regard for social norms, they are more likely to engage in deviant behavior and later escalate to more serious criminal behavior. With proper maturity and development, they begin to realize that others deserve a fair share. When criminals fail to properly develop, they regard themselves as special and lack regard for other people or their victims. Human nature affects how individuals choose between the consequences of crime and its alternatives, thus, when faced with a choice, individuals choose the preferred course of action (Jacoby, et al. 2012, pp. 226-234). Therefore, frequency of breaking the law is controlled by its consequences (p. 231). Meaning, individuals are more likely to commit crime if they can get away with it. If the rewards of committing a crime are immediate and being caught or punished is not certain, they will choose to commit the crime. This is in way related to conditioning. The authors states that the principle causes of crime are not an offender’s abnormal psychology, or his environment. Instead, it is driven by two kinds of reinforces: primary and secondary. Primary reinforcer stem its strength from innate drive including hunger and sexual appetite. Secondary reinforcer derives its strength from learning (p. 228). They further argue that human nature makes any human act possible.
Vold’s states that there are two types of psychological theories: one that focus on intelligence and another on personality (p. 65). Psychological theories that focuses on intelligence often use IQ scores to assess human intelligence. According to Vold’s, low intelligence has been the psychological …show more content…
Also, offenders tend to lack ambition, motivation, have difficulty controlling their impulses and hold nontraditional and unconventional values and beliefs (Vold’s, p. 74). Anderson (as citied in Jacoby, Severance & Bruce, 2012), elaborates on values and how they impact criminality. Anderson employed the culture of poverty argument to explain class inequality. Culture of poverty views poverty as a cycle in which the poor remain poor as a result of the adaptations they make when stuck in poverty (pp. 130-140). The authors talk about two distinct families: decent families and street families. He states that decent families conform/accept mainstream values and attempt to instill them in their children, while street operate on different/oppositional values. They lack consideration for other people and often advocate a culture of violence. Examples of advocating a culture of violence include, hitting one’s child as an acceptable form of punishment, telling a child “if somebody messes with you, you got to pay them back”, and insisting that a child not come home crying after losing in a fight (p. 134). As a result, children from street families grow up utilizing violence as a means of survival and establishing …show more content…
It is important for them to learn manners at an early age. When children are raised surrounded by individuals with no regard for social norms, they are more likely to engage in deviant behavior and later escalate to more serious criminal behavior. With proper maturity and development, they begin to realize that others deserve a fair share. When criminals fail to properly develop, they regard themselves as special and lack regard for other people or their victims. Human nature affects how individuals choose between the consequences of crime and its alternatives, thus, when faced with a choice, individuals choose the preferred course of action (Jacoby, et al. 2012, pp. 226-234). Therefore, frequency of breaking the law is controlled by its consequences (p. 231). Meaning, individuals are more likely to commit crime if they can get away with it. If the rewards of committing a crime are immediate and being caught or punished is not certain, they will choose to commit the crime. This is in way related to conditioning. The authors states that the principle causes of crime are not an offender’s abnormal psychology, or his environment. Instead, it is driven by two kinds of reinforces: primary and secondary. Primary reinforcer stem its strength from innate drive including hunger and sexual appetite. Secondary reinforcer derives its strength from learning (p. 228). They further argue that human nature makes any human act possible.