Criminal Psychology

Positive reinforcement

receiving a reward to increase a desired behaviour

Negative Reinforcement

Removing a negative consequence to increase behaviour

Positive Punishment

Receiving a negative consequence to decrease behaviour

Negative Punishment

Taking away something pleasant as a consequence to decrease behaviour 

Primary Reinforcer

things that satisfy a basic/psychological need

examples of primary reinforcer

food, water, shelter

Has value when associated with primary need

money, verbal praise, good grades

Strength of Operant Conditioning 

• can teach parents/teachers how to use it

• useful to prevent crime

• applicable to certain crimes

weakness of operant conditioning 

• ignores biological factors

• can’t explain all crimes like self-defence, accidental, revenge

• gaps in the theory as it can be misused

Vicarious reinforcement

learning from seeing other people get rewarded for doing the right thing

role model

people who are similar to the observer in some way and of a higher status 

modelling

learning new behaviour through paying attention to and retaining and then reproducing behaviour of role model

observational learning

process of learning through watching others and modelling their behaviour

identification

feeling of similarity with a particular role model leads to temporary imitation of their behaviours

vicarious learning

learning from others fortunes or misfortunes

vicarious punishment

learning through observing someone have negative consequences