It is often maintained that techniques of neutralization relieve moral constraints, thus permitting individuals to commit delinquent behavior. A review of the body of knowledge concerning vocabularies of motives suggests that motives in deviancy theory should not be viewed in such positivist/causal terms. Neutralization techniques are motives more accurately used after behavior is committed and only when such behavior is called into question. The use of motives and the types of motives should indicate the degree of conflict involved in the question situation. A more sophisticated analysis of how people operationalize vocabularies of motives, how motives relate to social structure, and how people come to accept motives as causal is needed. Further research in this area may help sociologists bridge the gulf between social-structural analysis and social-psychological analysis. 24 references. (Author abstract modified)