Criminal Behavior Theories: Correctional Program Applications

Introduction: Psychological Theories and Criminal Behavior

In analyzing the psychological factors that contribute to criminal behavior, criminologists employ elements of different psychological theories of human behavior. Among these varied approaches, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory all appear applicable, although in different degrees and depending on other components of psychological differences from one subject to another. Classical conditioning examines the mechanism of learned responses to repeated stimuli; operant conditioning focuses on the effect that positive and negative consequences have on future behavior; and social learning theory takes a more comprehensive view, according to which human beings emulate behavior modeled through countless observational experiences of other individuals (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2005).

In addition to providing a means of understanding the influences contributing to outward human behavior, these psychological theories also enable criminologists to design correctional programs that incorporate their underlying principles. Ideally, correctional programs should employ elements of each theory, because it is unlikely that any one of them is exclusively applicable to criminal rehabilitation (Schmalleger, 1997). In all likelihood, elements of all three theories contribute to most criminal behavior; therefore, the most successful correctional programs probably include all three approaches to some degree. Nevertheless, each offers fundamentally different principles for implementation into correctional programs. Ultimately, operant conditioning principles are likely most useful in correctional institutions, while social learning principles bear greater responsibility for general psychological socialization within society at large.

Operational Implementation of Classical Conditioning Principles

The most famous example of classical conditioning is the original experiment designed by Pavlov to demonstrate the principle in the salivation response triggered by a rung bell in dogs repeatedly presented with a food reward and the same stimulus simultaneously (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2005). In the context of the development of criminal behavior, classical conditioning is evident in many different forms: where adolescent associates provide the stimulus for destructive behavior; where drug dealers provide the stimulus for the development and continuation of drug addiction; where the presence of children provides the stimulus for pedophilic behavior; and where media advertisements provide a stimulus for alcohol consumption by alcoholics (Van Voorhis et al., 2007).

In terms of correctional program implementation, classical conditioning principles are most applicable and most likely to produce beneficial results in conjunction with criminal behaviors attributable to addiction (Van Voorhis et al., 2007) and compulsive urges, precisely because the mechanism of classical conditioning is automatic rather than a conscious thought process. Specific operational implementation generally consists of reversing the association between stimuli and learned responses through some form of aversion therapy, flooding, or covert sensitization (Van Voorhis et al., 2007). Typical examples include building a negative association by providing an unpleasant sensation or other consequence linked to the object of the criminal urge or behavior; purposely "flooding" the subject with repeated exposure to a particular stimulus to minimize any established response tendencies through desensitization; and requiring a subject to engage in conscious conceptualization of the realities and consequences of criminal behavior (Van Voorhis et al., 2007).

Operant conditioning refers to the relationship between behavior and reward, where reward consists of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, or punishment (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2005). In the context of the development of criminal behavior, operant conditioning is evident wherever early antisocial and criminal behaviors are repeatedly excused or go undiscovered, and where the subject receives positive reinforcement in the form of peer support or intrinsic pleasure from the behavior — such as the highs associated with drug use and alcoholism (Spiegler & Guevremont, 1993).

Operational Implementation of Operant Conditioning Principles

In terms of correctional program implementation, operant conditioning principles provide the basis for motivating cooperation and other desirable behaviors — including the reduction of undesirable behaviors — in a quid pro quo arrangement. Typical examples of operational implementation include so-called "token economies" and other bilateral agreements or understandings in which certain desired behaviors yield specific rewards (Van Voorhis et al., 2007). Operant conditioning principles are particularly useful in parenting — for example, when teenagers are rewarded with later weekend curfews for good grades — and it is also a proven method of increasing inmate compliance within correctional institutions, where good behavior is rewarded with increased privileges and undesirable behaviors are punished through privilege reduction (Spiegler & Guevremont, 1993).

Generally, the most important fundamental element of successful implementation of operant conditioning principles in behavior modification is the gradual phasing out of the reward-based motivation for compliance (Van Voorhis et al., 2007). The goal of any operant conditioning-based program is always the eventual transition to desired behaviors without the promise of specific reward — or the threat of specific punishment — as the primary motivation for appropriate social behavior and conduct.

Conclusion

Whereas social conditioning is profoundly influential in the socialization process generally (Henslin, 2002), it is not as conducive to reform in an institutional setting by virtue of the powerful persistence of gang affiliation and established institutional cultures that directly contradict the behavior modeled by exposure to positive examples.