Social Learning Theory

The authors provide an overview of social learning theory’s current explanation of crime, and then translate the theory into a mechanism sketch to demonstrate how a mechanistic statement of the theory differs from the current statement of the theory, as well as to identify shortcomings within the theory. Unfortunately for social learning theory, the authors identify at least three potential issues that undermine the theory’s scientific explanation of crime: it artificially lumps multiple discrete mechanisms of learning; the concept of definitions artificially lumps numerous discrete forms of knowledge; and the theory’s concept of the matching function black boxes the mechanism through which individuals arrive at a course of action when multiple stimuli are present within a social situation. The authors also discuss how the identification of the concrete entities and activities involved in learning promotes scientific systemicity between criminology and the fields of neuroscience and cognitive psychology.