Routine Activity Theory is a criminology theory that explains how patterns of people’s routine activities create opportunities for criminal activity. For example, a person’s routine activity of leaving home at 8.45am and returning home at 5pm means their home will predictably be vulnerable from 8.45am to 5pm every day. The theory posits that crime is […]
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The instinct theory of motivation argues that our motivational instincts are passed down from our parents through hereditary factors. The instinct theory states that our motivations and behavior are compelled by a distinct set of instincts that are internally fixed. Our biological or natural urges are in control of how we act, and these are
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The Incentive Theory of Motivation suggests humans are motivated by incentives in the form of rewards and punishments. This theory is a behaviorist theory, underpinned by the research of scholars such as Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner. Such theorists demonstrated that rewards (such as praise) and punishments (such as removal of food) can motivate both
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Achievment Goal Theory is a theory that argues a person’s degree of motivation to achieve a goal is influenced by their goal orientation. Goal orientation refers to the rationale underpinning our goals. We can either approach a goal in two broad ways: Generally, scholars argue that mastery goal setting leads to greater intrinsic motivation, resilience,
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Manifest functions are the anticipated, recognized, and positive outcomes of social phenomena, actions or institutions. As such, the outcomes of manifest functions are those that people expect social institutions to fulfill. The concept was developed by Robert K. Merton, who argued that social functions can be both intended (manifest) and unintended (known as latent functions).
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Latent functions, together with manifest functions, are two sociological concepts developed by US sociologists Robert K. Merton in his book ‘Social Theory and Social Structure’ published in 1949. While manifest functions are the intended consequences of a social institution, latent functions are the unanticipated and unintentional outcomes. They are the outcomes that are not necessarily
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Drive reduction theory of motivation states that people are highly motivated to satisfy their physiological and psychological needs. The theory demonstrates that rewards that satiate base needs like hunger and discomfort are highly motivating. This has implications for everything from education to animal training to public policy. The theory is seen as a way of
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Role strain (not to be confused with role conflict) refers to the stress an individual faces when failing to meet the expectations of a specific social role. For example, a student who has to study for exams, finish assignments, and participate in co-curricular activities may feel overwhelmed by these various tasks. It is part of
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A dispositional attribution occurs when an individual’s behavior is attributed to factors internal to themselves. Examples of dispositional factors include one’s personality, talent, or perseverance. Those are all internal and enduring characteristics of the person. The opposite is situational attribution, which refers to attributing outcomes to situational or environmental factors rather than personal factors. Distributional
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Situational attribution refers to when an individual’s behavior is attributed to factors in the environment. These factors may include the environment (see: environmental factors), other people’s behaviors, umpire bias, and so on. One of the first psychologists to study attributions was Fritz Heider in his seminal work in 1958, The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. Situational
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