Theoretical Dimension Involving Criminal Behavior - Research Paper Example

Academic stakeholders started gaining interest in the connection between psychology and law after the World War II was over. During the period of 1960s, various psychologists were called upon in various criminal and civil cases to help with the cognitive side of the cases (Ogloff, 1996). By 1980s, psychology was applied to law, and students started taking courses and training in the field of psychology of law (Ogloff, 1996). Today, criminology and psychology are taught together in formal and professional educational settings, and various theories explaining why criminals perform criminal activities are taught to students and professionals.

Body Among the various theories that examine why individuals perform criminal activities, the choice theory is the most commonly used. Choice theory was created by Dr, William Glasser; according to him, the decision of an individual to commit a crime is made in a rational way (Glasser, 2011, p.224). The theory further suggests that there are several reasons due to which one acts in a deviant manner; these reasons includes greediness, desire, rage, envy, suspicion, excitement and pride. The base of the theory of choice is the classical school of criminology, which states that an individual is not restricted, and whether to select a criminal path or a socially acceptable path is his or her own free choice.

The classical school of criminology has even suggested a way to counter crime – fear of punishment can help prevent criminals from performing criminal activities (Glasser, 2011). The theory of choice categorizes criminal behavior into three different types. The first type is the rational actor; this means that a criminal makes his or her own decision whether or not to commit a crime, and he or she can be stopped through fear of punishments. The second reason due to which an individual commits a crime is because of his or her inner drives and the environment he or she lives in.

The best possible way to counter this kind of criminal is to change the environment in which he or she is situated. The last kind of criminal is the one who has been abused or has been a victim of a crime; this kind of criminal can be controlled with the aid of rules and regulations. Criminology is even associated with personality; Eysenck, a psychologist from Britain, is highly recognized for producing a theory that connects criminal behavior with the individual’s personality. He suggested that an individual performs criminal behavior because of the communication between that individual’s environment and his cognitive system (Raine, 1993).

This theorist has focused on the predispositions related to criminal activities available in the genes of an individual. People who are in favor of this theory share a common belief that individuals have distinct mental processes. When these processes interact with a particular stimulus, individuals end up acting in a deviant way. This theory has not signaled that an individual is born with criminal-like qualities; this theory rather suggests that only when the neurobiological processes of individuals interact with a certain environment do individuals act in a deviant manner.

The study conducted by Eysenck further proved that individuals who exhibit a lower level of extraversion have a tendency of getting angry quickly, acting in an aggressive manner, and are not reliable (Raine, 1993). He even stated that individuals categorized as extraverts tend to experience increased levels of excitement, which