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Psychological Model in Contemporary Society

Shaelyn Sanders

Department of Criminal Justice, McNeese State University

CJUS 605: Criminological Theory

Jennifer K. Creel, Ph.D.

January 19, 2024

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Psychological Model in Contemporary Society

Among the three theories of criminal conduct, psychological theory provides the most insight

into the nature of crime in contemporary society. When crimes are committed, many people are

curious as to why they were committed and what motivated the offender. In today's world, it is

not uncommon to connect psychological issues to the reason underlying a crime.

The Three Categories of Psychological Theories

Psychodynamic and behavioral learning theories are the first two theories. These two have deep

origins in the tradition of the predestined actor (Burke, 2021). They entail an unconscious, non-

reflective learning process that occurs while we are very young and that we are unable to

remember (Burke, 2021). The third is cognitive learning theories, which are more action-oriented

than the rational actor model in many aspects (Burke, 2021). They reject a large portion of the

positive tradition and incorporate ideas of creativity and choice (Burke, 2021). This notion,

which calls for some introspection and decision-making, is more likely to occur as we become

older (Burke, 2021).

Psychodynamic Theory

Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud serves as the foundation for psychodynamic theory.

According to Freud’s theory, emotional distress, and dysfunction stem from the unconscious

mind. (Teater, 2015). This idea argues the necessity for psychoanalysis treatment, which aims to

bring repressed trauma or childhood struggles from the unconscious to the conscious mind so

that the client can start addressing these issues that remain unresolved (Teater, 2015). This theory

is fascinating because it explains how people respond to stressful events and how they might

grow, develop, and change because of the crisis (Teater, 2015).

Behavioral Learning Theories

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The work of Ivan Pavlov, who became known for studying the mechanisms underlying very

basic, instinctive animal behaviors, such as how a dog learned to associate a ringing bell with

food, and B.F. Skinner, who expanded the behaviorist conditioning principle to active learning—

where an animal must perform an act to receive a reward or avoid punishment—is the source of

behavioral theories (Burke, 2021). According to these ideas, the behaviors we pick up during

childhood are natural reactions that happen without conscious thought or contemplation (Burke,

2021). They are also said to be enhanced or weakened by outside stimuli in our surroundings

(Burke, 2021). Operant conditioning is a learning process that involves associating particular

behaviors with rewards and punishments (Burke, 2021). For instance, completing everything on

one's plate could be linked to receiving dessert as a reward. On the other hand, punishment may

be viewed as having to remain seated at the dinner table until all of the food has been consumed.

As a result, the child can become a less picky eater as they become older.

Cognitive Learning Theories

The predestined actor model is fundamentally criticized by cognitive learning theories, which

explain human behavior in terms of a three-way dynamic exchange in which behavior, personal

factors, and outside influences interact constantly (Burke, 2021). Though they place more

emphasis on mental rather than physical activity, cognitivists share the operant conditioning

stance that a kid must actively respond to stimuli to learn (Burke, 2021). This social learning

theory highlights that expectations that children develop by observing what occurs to other

children can also encourage behavior in addition to actual rewards and punishments (Burke,

2021). In the end, the individual will decide for themselves what and how they will learn. The

other child's apparent "cool" behavior may be deemed worthy of imitation if it seems to elicit a

positive response from adults or other kids (Burke, 2021).

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The Impact of Psychological Research

Because psychological research shows how a person's perception of legitimacy influences certain

law-related behaviors, it has helped justify the shift in policymakers' perspectives on

enforcement (Tyler et al., 2015). Further contributions have come from psychological research,

which has articulated and provided scientific proof for the crucial role that procedural fairness

plays in forming legitimacy (Tyler et al., 2015). This has given legal authorities a clear roadmap

of tactics for establishing and preserving public trust (Tyler et al., 2015). Psychology may aid in

the development of evidence-based criminal law legislation, as shown by the implementation of

a consensual, legitimacy-based model of judicial authority that incorporates psychological ideas

and research findings. (Tyler et al., 2015).

Conclusion

Psychological behaviors are important to the nature of crime in contemporary society. The three

theories discussed are beneficial for many reasons since they provide a more thorough

explanation for the motivations behind people's actions. Psychological research contributes

significantly to providing the legal system with an outline for understanding why certain things

happen and how to deal with them.

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References

Burke, R. H. (2021). Contemporary criminological theory: Crime and criminal behaviour in the

age of moral uncertainty (1st ed.). Routledge.

https://platform.virdocs.com/read/1734429/4/#/4/2/2[copyright]/14,/1:0,/1:0

Teater, B. (2015). Psychodynamic theory. Psychodynamic Theory - an overview | ScienceDirect

Topics. http://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/psychodynamic-theory

Tyler, T. R., Goff, P. A., & MacCoun, R. J. (2015). The impact of psychological science on

policing in the United States: Procedural Justice, legitimacy, and effective law

enforcement. Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American

Psychological Society. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26635334/#:~:text=Psychological

%20research%20has%20further%20contributed,creating%20and%20maintaining

%20public%20trust.