Differential Association-Reinforcement

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Recommended: Crime as a social phenomenon

In 1947 Sociologist Edwin Sutherland (and later Melvin DeFleur, Richard Quinney, Robert Burgess, and Ronald Akers; as seen in Burgess & Akers, 1966) posited that criminal behavior is at least partially learned and that our social networks play a vital role in this process. Later research provided empirical support to this (Akers, Krohn, & Lanza-Kaduce, 1979). In this view, criminal behavior is learned both socially and non-socially though operant conditioning. The individual’s social networks (e.x. family and friends) are the primary source for reinforcement of these behaviors (Burgess & Akers, 1966). In essence our social networks teach us both specific behaviors as well as the social norms of our (sub) culture. When we behave a certain way, our behavior is reinforced or punished. Behavior that is reinforced is more likely to continue.
As you can see above, these learning models did not consider cognition in its own right. While there are some aspects of cognition in the above theories (reinforcement in the form of praise from one’s peers is symbolic and the value of it requires cognitive appraisal) they essentially presumed learning was a result of a direct interaction between the individual and the environment. Albert Bandura observed that not all learning is direct and furthered the concept of social learning with his Social-Cognitive Learning Theory (Behavioral Modeling). Research on aggression in children supported the use of this theory when explaining violent behavior (Bandura, Ross, & Ross 1961).
This theory can be broken into three parts: Observational Learning, Efficacy Expectations, and Reciprocal Determinism (Funder 1997).
Observational Learning is a very simple concept. Humans are able to observe how others act ...

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...t how and when to intervene. A change in these affects a change in the environment, the presence of effective tactics changes our behavior, in that we use them more often, this allows for others to observe and learn (Reciprocal Determinism).

Works Cited

Akers, R. L., Krohn, M. D., Lanza-Kaduce, L., & Radosevich, M. (1979). Social learning and deviant behavior: A specific test of a general theory. American Sociological Review, Vol. 44 (4), 636-655.
Bandura, A. A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The Journal Of Abnormal And Social Psychology, 63(3), 575-582.
Burgess, R. L., & Akers, R. L. (1966). Differential Association-Reinforcement Theory of Criminal Behavior, A. Social Problems., 14, 128. Vol 14(2), 1966, 128-147.

Funder, D. (1997). The personality puzzle. (1 ed.). New York: W. W. Norton &Co.

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