Super Traits Theory Versus Social Learning Theory

Theories are comprehension methods that are used to determine the cause behind criminal activity. The theorists behind these theories help come to a conclusion on the structure of crime, the victims, and the offenders. The two theories addressed are Super Traits Theory and Social Learning Theory. The Super Traits Theory, by Robert Agnew, discusses five concepts (personality, family, school, peers, and work) that could possibly be the start of crime. Agnew argues that personality traits establishes a direct course as to how the other ideas react towards them. Ronald Akers’ Social Learning Theory discusses how people learn criminal behavior from their environment based on operant psychology. Although both Social Learning Theory and Super Traits Theory assists in the determination of crime, the different

approaches allow individuals to see aspects of crime from a different point of view.
Super Trait’s Theory
Super Traits Theory is a set of domains that network and react off each other. Being identified as the “super traits”, low self-control and irritability is a combination of individual traits like sensation seeking, impulsivity, inattentiveness, and low empathy (pp. 342). These traits are bound to cause a person to produce negative reactions towards individuals. The Super Traits Theory is on an “evolutionary” basis, meaning that the qualities have been processed over a period of time. It is based upon biological factors and how they lead to irritability and low self-control. African Americans, blacks, and adolescents are effected most by Super Traits Theory. Agnew claims that for those “neurological and endocrine” changes during adolescence years briefly increase irritability and low self-control for those limited to that time frame; as for those who started crime before adolescence time period and continues afterwards, it is a more stable characteristic (pp. 343). The brain chemistry of the adolescence is naturally going through a transformation stage which makes them become more irritable than normal. Also, adolescents are undergoing hormone changes which easily triggers anger and competitiveness.
Social Learning Theory
Social Learning Theory evaluates strategies that guides individuals towards or steer them away from crime (pp. 189). There are four key principles that have and effect on a person’s chance of committing a crime. It is possible for crime to occur if the following happens:
1. He or she differentially associates with others who commit, model, and support violations of social and legal norms. (Differential association)
2.

The violative behavior is differentially reinforced over behavior in conformity to the norm. (Differential reinforcement)

3. He or she is more exposed to and observes more deviant than conforming models. (Imitation)

4. His or her own learned definitions are favorable toward committing the deviant acts. (Excess of definitions) (pp.190).

Aided by Robert Burgess, Akers used differential reinforcement, a perception of operant psychology, to assure that criminal behavior was improved or reduced. With reinforcement, it is possible that behavior occurs continuously, if the predicament is somewhat similar; yet with punishment, certain behavior will be avoided and more than likely wouldn’t happen again. Applying operant psychology allowed Akers and his partner to see the way that individuals learn criminal behavior.

Discrimination is also a significant concept when dealing with the Social Learning Theory. It takes places before criminal behavior occurs. Discriminative stimuli are hints that help determine whether criminal behavior will be reinforced or followed by punishment. The clues indicate what criminal activity will be reinforced or punished.

Comparison

Similarities

Differences
Even though both theories analyze the forethought behind criminal behavior, neither are one in the same. First, the Super Traits Theory is a developmental theory; it progresses over a lifetime. The theory focuses on gender, race, and age to justify the time period (adolescent years or entire lifetime) in which someone decides to offend. In contrast, Social Learning Theory focuses more on what strategies guides someone to commit or stop criminal behavior all together (pp. 189, 342-343).
In addition, Social Learning Theory uses operant psychology to semi-explain the behavior prior to and after crime occurs. There are two types of consequences when dealing with operant psychology: reinforcement and punishment, both being either positive or negative. Reinforcement places emphasis on good behavior and reinforces it. Punishment weakens and/or gets rid of criminal behavior (pp. 190). However, Super Traits Theory is directly affected by biological factors. When dealing with gender, males are more than likely to have irritability and low self-control which increases aggressive and competitive aspects. In racial terms, blacks are more poor and are the main target for discrimination. Age wise, behavior is wrapped around their mental stability causing adolescents to be more irritable and have less self-control than others.
Critiques
Both Social Learning Theory and Super Traits Theory assist with the understanding of crime, the offenders, and victims. Social Learning Theory focuses mainly on the offender more than crime itself and the victims. The main goal is to determine what factors could lead a person to continue criminal behavior and discontinue criminal behavior. Social Learning Theory links the environment to the individual explaining how different behavior is reinforced or punished based on the environment. Super Traits Theory focus on the offender, victim, and crime. The main goal is to determine if age, gender, and race can determine whether offenders offend during adolescent years or across and entire lifespan.
The strengths of the Social Learning Theory is that it uses concepts and applies operant psychology to gain a better understanding of how criminal behavior is perceived. The weaknesses of the Social Learning Theory is that disregards individuals perspectives and focuses on the effort of which one learns criminal behavior (pp. 203).
The strengths of the Super Traits Theory is that it mixes psychology, biology, and sociology to determine the effects it has on one another. Irritability and low self-control also increase momentarily during the adolescent years. The weaknesses of the Super Traits theory is that it does not explain how people turn away from crime (pp. 349).
Conclusion
In conclusion, I learned that the effects of crime can be looked at in numerous ways. While exploring the Social Learning Theory, I learned that environments has an effect on whether or not a person leans towards or away from criminal behavior. The use of operant psychology, reinforcement and punishment, whether positive or negative, can also help an individual declare the consequences behind certain criminal activity. The four possible connections to crime through Social Learning Theory is differential association, differential reinforcement, imitation, and definitions. Super Traits Theory focuses solemnly on five concepts that could be the possible start of criminal behavior. This theory progresses over a lifespan and relies on biological factors to understand whether or not it has a direct or indirect effect on irritability or low self-control.