Exposure to Delinquent Peers
Why S.L. measure?
Strength of Relationship
R’s = .2 - .4 are common
Criticisms
Pro-Criminal Attitudes
Why a measure of S.L.?
Strength of relationship? R’s > .4
Criticism
Social Learning and the Life-course
When do the concepts of social learning (Akers/Sutherland) theory operate?
Gerald Patterson’s Social-Interactional Theory
Focus on early childhood, and rewards/punish
“Definitions” and “Imitation” not central
Rather, “Parental Efficacy”
Gerald Patterson (OSLS)
1982 “Coercion Theory”
1992 “Social- Interactional Approach”
Oregon Social Learning Center
Very Applied: Work with families with young, antisocial boys.
Patterson’s Social-Interactional Model
Later in the Theory
Antisocial Child Affects the Environment
Peer Rejection
Poor Academic Performance
Parental Rejection
This leads to further problems
Deviant Peer Group
School Failure
Delinquency
Beyond Surveys
Establishing causation via experiments with offenders
What is the policy implication of S.L.T.?
Measure both “intermediate objectives” and long-term outcomes
Patterson and OSLC research
Recruited “high risk” children
Stealers, fire-starters, truants…
Focus on training parents
Also cognitive/behavioral methods to build social competence
Able to substantially reduce delinquency, improve school performance
Don Andrews (1980)
Group treatment for Prisoners and Probationers
Manipulated content (definitions), group leaders (quality of role model), and self-management
Reductions in recidivism ranged from 10-25%
Support for the Sutherland/Akers Tradition
Achievement Place
Houses with a married couple serving as “parents”
Served as “role models”
Token economy + verbal physical praise
Peer groups (“positive peer culture”)
Evaluations are mixed (some positive)
Tend to lose positive effects after release
Be wary of “peer culture” programs
Cognitive Programs
Changing what criminals think
“Criminal Thinking Errors”
(Rationalizations, Definitions)
Changing how criminals think
Anger management
Prosocial Skills
SUPPORT FOR BANDURA, PATTERSON
SUMMARY OF APPLIED RESEARCH
Cognitive and/or Behavioral Programs are the best bet for reducing Recidivism
“Meta-analysis” findings are impressive
Average reduction in recidivism across 45 studies?
>30%
SUMMARY OF S.L.T
GOOD
1. Substantial Empirical Support (survey and experimental)
2. Useful Policy Implications
3. Scope and Parsimony
BAD
1. Causal ordering?
2. Is all antisocial behavior “learned?”
Review of Social Learning Theories
Bandura
How aggression is learned
operant conditioning, cognitive, vicarious
Sutherland/Akers
How deviant values are transmitted
operant conditioning, vicarious learning
Antisocial values (definitions) are central
Patterson
Early childhood, family processes and “context”