Outline and Discuss in Detail the Various Theories Used by...

The following essay will outline and discuss the various theories used by psychologists to explain criminal behaviour. According to White and Haines 2008 crime was seen as the result of externally caused biological problems or internal psychological factors that were treatable. They believe the criminal was made, not born. Psychological theories tend to focus on how characteristics of an individual lead to criminal behaviour, however these theories may also be irrelevant, challenge existing thinking and make people and institutions think. The Oxford Dictionary 2003 defines psychology as ‘the study of the nature, functions and phenomena of behaviour and mental experience.’ More specifically, it is the study of people and Williams†¦show more content†¦The main division in learning theories is between behavioural theorists and cognitive theorists. Behaviourists claim that people learn by trial and error through associating stimuli with responses whereas cognit ive theorists believe people learn through associating memories and ideas as part of a problem-solving process (Jones 2006:411). There are three main accounts as to how individuals learn by way of association. Pavlov (1927) described the simplest method of classical conditioning. He argued that learning can take place by association in circumstances where the subjects are purely passive and simply learn from the environment. Skinner (1938) associated himself with operant learning and his writing had major impact on the development of behavioural psychology. He believes operant learning is a more useful device than classical conditioning as the subject is active and, by the use of rewards and punishments, has to learn how to obtain what it wants from the environment. Neither of the above two learning theories are dependent on subjects having any understanding of the process in which they are engaged in. The final explanation of learning by association, the social learning th eory, combines operant learning with aspects of cognitive psychology. It claims that behaviour is reinforced not only by rewards and punishments, but also by observing the behaviour of others. One of the leading advocates of the social learning theory is AlbertShow MoreRelatedApproaches to Organisation and Management19498 Words   |  78 PagesAPPROACHES  TO  ORGANISATION  AND MANAGEMENT Organisational  behaviour  is  a  discursive  subject  and  much has  been  written  about  it.  The  study  of  organisations  and management  has  therefore  to  proceed  on  a  broad  front.  It  is the  comparative  study  of  the  different  approaches  that  will  yield benefits  to  the  manager.  The  study  of  organisations,  their  structure and  management  is  important  for  the  manager.  Identification  of major  trends  in  management  and  organisational  behaviour,  and the  work  of  leading  writers,  provide  a  perspective  on  concepts Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesmechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations