How do psychological theories of criminal behavior differ from other types of theories presented in this book? How do the various psychological and psychiatric approaches presented in this chapter differ from one another?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Psychological theories of criminal behavior emphasize individual propensities and characteristics, such as conditioned behavior, human cognition, or the psychoanalytic structure of the human personality, in explaining criminality. These approaches see the basis of human motivation, desire, and behavioral choice as being firmly rooted in the individual. This differs from classical and neoclassical theories by emphasizing the idea that many of these factors may be beyond the individual's personal control, denying (or at least limiting) the idea of free will. These theories differ from sociological theories (discussed later in the text) by emphasizing individual factors, rather than broad social process or social structure impacts on behavior.

The theories in this chapter differ from one another in their underlying emphasis. Some focus on conditioning, others on learning and cognition, and others on the structure of personality. However, they all emphasize individual psychological traits as being a key factor in criminality.