Rational Choice Theory And Human Behavior - 964 Words

In its simplest form, Rational Choice Theory finds its role in economics, which also plays a big role in human behavior. Most often, people are motivated by money and the possibility of making a profit and will calculate the costs and benefits for them before deciding what to do. While economic theories look at production, distribution and consumption of goods and services, Rational Choice theorists argue that these same principles can be used to understand human interaction where using time, information, approval and prestige as the resources being exchanged. In other words, individuals are motivated by their own personal wants and goals and are driven by personal desires. Since achieving it all is nearly impossible, individuals make choices relative to their goals and means of attaining them. Rational Choice Theory sees individuals as actors who are in a constant state of competition over limited resources and it is in this area that ethnicity is expressed by shared meanings a nd cultural resources such as customs, eating habits, accents and the like. It is most obvious when there is a situation or group conflict that an individual will amp up the importance of their ethnic group membership according to Michael Hechter. Hechter argues that ethnic groups provide a central source of private rewards and punishments which then motivate the members of the group to take collective action. Michael Banton argues that individuals competing alone weaken group boundaries, butShow MoreRelatedThe Rational Choice and Biological Trait Theories Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pages For instance, they should use a couple of criminology theories to help them with certain cases that are more difficult than the rest. The theories that the justice departments should use in their systems are the rational choice and biological theories of criminology. The rational choice theory comes from the classical theory which is based off of personal choice towards criminal behavior. Criminal behavior under the rational choice theory has been due to the free thinking of society and has alwaysRead MoreRational Choice vs. Trait Theory Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesRational Choice Theory VS. Trait Theory Student Name Criminology : Park University Online Program In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the Rational Choice Theory(s) and the Trait Theory(s). We will start with the history of the two theories and progress toward some of the individual principles in the theories. Next step will be explaining how each theory contributes to criminal behavior. My closing paragraph will concludeRead MoreContemporary Utilization Of Classical Perspective1575 Words   |  7 PagesDeterrence theory, rational choice theory, routine activities theory, and lifestyle theory will be explained and defined thoroughly detailing each theory and provide a historical background, theorist(s) involved, prior literature, scientific methods, results, personal opinions, and policy implications for each theory. These theories are still being utilized in law enforcement in present day enforcement of laws and policies and this paper will describe an in-depth explanation of the theories. CrimeRead MoreTheories of Crime Causation: Trait Theory and Rational Choice Theory1377 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Theories of Crime Causation: Trait Theory and Rational Choice Theory Introduction Theories of crime causation get to the fundamental characteristics of human nature. Theories of crime causation can be separated into trait theories and choice theories. Both types of theories make valid points about the causes of crime, yet they are have different implications for preventing the causes of crime. Thesis: Trait theories and choice theories both assume that humans are self-interested, but their conceptionsRead MoreRational Choice Theory: Criminology901 Words   |  4 PagesChoice theory was born out of the perspective of crime causation which states that criminality is the result of conscious choice. This theory is also known as the rational choice theory. According to this theory, the choice whether or not to commit a criminal act is the result of a rational thought process that weighs the risks of paying the costs of committing a crime, against the benefits obtained. In other words, if the benefits--monetary or otherwise--outweigh the risks of sustaining the costs Read MoreTheories of Crime Causation Essay example1589 Words   |  7 PagesMajor Theories of Crime Causation Robert Lincoln CJ 102-02 Kaplan University August 4, 2013 Major Theories of Crime Causation Various units contain a number of theories that try to explain the causes of crime in the society. The theories have been developed to have an in-depth understanding of the crime and how best they can be addressed to ensure that humans live in a conducive environment. These units and theories have been around and in use from as early as the twentieth century. OverRead MoreRational Choice Theory Of Criminal Behavior Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesPeople chose all behavior and including all criminal behavior. Which in this case the choices that criminals make brings them pleasure and adrenaline. Criminal choices can be controlled by fear of punishment, but not all the time. The crime will be limited when the benefits are reduced and the costs increase. Rational choice theory is a perspective that holds criminality in the result of conscious choice. Not to mention, that it is predicted that individuals choose to commit crime when the benefitsRead MoreRational Fools : A Critique O f The Behavioral Foundations Of Economic Theory1260 Words   |  6 PagesRational Fools: A Critique of the Behavioral Foundations of Economic Theory written by economist, Amartya Sen, takes a look at behavioral self-interest and its relation to behavioral economics. At the time that this paper was written, behavioral economics was becoming a popular area to explore and economists were trying to figure out how they could apply their research to encourage human flourishing. Sen begins this paper by critiquing the work of Edgeworth, who claimed that the 1st principle ofRead MoreThe Rational Choice Theory1728 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity, CJ102 Criminology Unit Five Midterm Project The Rational Choice theory approach has been used by social and political scientists to put some type of meaning of why humans behave in a certain way. In recent years, rational choice theory has been widely used in other disciplines such as sociology, political science, and anthropology. It has gained influence in politics and sociology over the past thirty years. This choice theory stressed the role of knowledgeable self interest in the decisionRead MoreApplying the Rational Choice Theory to the Movie Taken1533 Words   |  6 Pagescrimes. Several sociologists and criminologists have developed theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior and why it occurs. In earlier times, theories such as biological determinism and phrenology were often used to explain criminal behavior. Those theories have since been proven to be unreasonable and unrealistic. As time passed, sociologists and criminologists created more plausible theories including the rational choice, classical, con flict, labeling, life course, critical, strain,