ABSTRACT
THERE is no novelty in suggesting that criminality may be explained in terms of learning. As VoId has pointed out, l many sociological theories of crime rely heavily upon the premise that delinquent behaviour may be learned through association with those who are already criminal, and indeed many common-sense explanations of wrongdoing make the same assumption. It is generally supposed that criminal behaviour and criminal values are learned in much the same way as, for example, the skills of driving a motor-car, and-conversely-that they will be unlearned if their consequences prove to be unprofitable. However, several commentators have remarked that penal methods which involve the imposition of severe and sustained punishment upon the offender are in practice less effective than humane treatment-a finding which necessarily casts doubt upon this assumption.
