ABSTRACT
The main assertion of control balance theory is that the overall probability of deviance of some kind, as well as the probability of a particular type of deviance, is heavily influenced by the interplay of deviant motivation with constraint. Control imbalances converge with basic human impulses and desires for autonomy to create a predisposition to become motivated toward deviant behavior. Motivation is the outcome of an interactive nexus involving predisposition toward deviant motivation, situational provocations, and feelings of debasement. Although the probability of deviance in general is chiefly a direct expression of motivation toward deviance, the actual commission of deviant behavior is not a mechanical manifestation of preexisting, background variables. Control balancing theory explains prevalence of general and specific deviance among individuals, the frequency of deviance for given time spans, variations in prevalence and incidence over the life course, and differences among societies, organizations, and demographic categories in rates of deviance.
