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SOCIAL CONTROL AND SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR - A SYNTHESIS

NCJ Number
34757
Journal
Criminology Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1976) Pages: 17-40
Author(s)
R D CONGER
Date Published
1976
Length
24 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS AND COMPARES THESE TWO MODELS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF DATA OF TWO STUDIES - A 1964 SEATTLE (WA) STUDY OF 374 SEVENTH GRADE BOYS AND A 1965 CALIFORNIA STUDY OF 1588 NONBLACK HIGH SCHOOL MALES.
Abstract
THE SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY POSTULATES THAT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR BECOMES MORE PROBABLE AS THE INDIVIDUAL'S BOND TO SOCIETY WEAKENS. THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY SUGGESTS THAT BEHAVIOR IS MAINTAINED BY THE EFFECTS IT HAS ON THE ENVIRONMENT (VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT). THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CONTROL AND SOCIAL LEARNING AT THE LEVEL OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, SPECIFICALLY THE JOINT INFLUENCES OF PARENTS AND PEERS AS THEY RELATE TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA SHOWS THAT PREDICTIONS FROM THE SOCIAL LEARNING MODEL GO BEYOND, RATHER THAN DISAGREES WITH, THE SOCIAL CONTROL PERSPECTIVE. THUS, ATTACHMENTS ARE AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ONLY WHEN THE SOURCE OF ATTACHMENT IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. FURTHER, THE DATA PRESENTED SUGGESTS THAT OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING HAS AN INFLUENCE ON DELINQUENT ACTS AS SUGGESTED BY SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY. PARTICULAR PARENTAL BEHAVIORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE REINFORCING VALUE OF THE HOME APPEAR TO HAVE THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE THE REINFORCING VALUE OF THE HOME APPEAR TO HAVE THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE ON DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN THE PARENT/CHILD BOND. FROM THIS STUDY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT A COMBINATION OF THE SOCIAL 'BONDING' NOTION FROM CONTROL THEORY ALONG WITH SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL LEARNING LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE THEORY OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR THAN EITHER PERSPECTIVE ALONE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)

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