Analysis Of The Risk Akers Social Learning Theory

In today’s society, individuals have a propensity to follow the ideas of others rather than create their own. Our society will not wear any article of clothing that is not in style or approved by their peers are even are scared of what others may say or think about them. Today’s Classrooms are filled with children who are too concerned, or terrified of being wrong and rather choose not to raise their hands in attempts to answer a question or even read a book aloud to the class for fear of someone making fun of them. When a student or two finally muster up the courage necessary to raise their hands in efforts at answering a question, eventually other fellow classmates will begin to follow. This is what Social Learning Theory entails.

The risk

Akers (2000) states that, “The principle of differential Association is that a person commits criminal acts because he or she has learned “Definitions” (rationalizations and attitudes) favorable to violation of law in “excess” of the definitions unfavorable to violation of law” (p. 73). The key notion of Akers’ theory is that individuals who commit crime, do so because they have educated themselves on various types of behaviors and attitudes that dwell on law-breaking. This also happens to be one of the perceptions included in Sutherland’s Differential Association

However this theory was not entirely constructed by the mind of Akers, as he used a variety of other sources including Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory to orchestrate certain concepts of his theory. With the combined assistance of Robert Burgess, the two theorist were able to refigure the theory and retain the ideologies of the Differential Association Theory. Akers branched off certain principles that are used in the behavior learning theory, adding them to his Social learning Theory. The principle of “differential reinforcement”, where the intended actions of the individual is acclimatized or conformed through chastisements or