Applying Deterrence, Rational Choice, or Social Learning Theory

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Your assignment should consist of four sections: • Introduction. • Literature review. • Method of research. • Discussion. Each section except the introduction should have an appropriate bolded subheading. An abstract is not needed.

Deterrence, Rational Choice, or Social Learning Theory

 

Applying Deterrence, Rational Choice, or Social Learning Theory

This assignment provides you with an opportunity to design an empirical research study. In your assignment, you will be expected to:

• Describe a particular gap in knowledge of the causes of criminal behavior that could be filled by sociological research.


• Evaluate the effectiveness of these theories in filling this gap:
  
  
  
  • Deterrence theory.
  
  
  • Rational choice theory.
  
  
  • Learning theory.
  
  
  
  


• Derive criminological research and hypotheses from one of these three theories.


• Evaluate policy implications of your theoretically informed research project.


• Write clearly, with correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and good organization, following current APA guidelines.

Organization

Your assignment should consist of four sections:

• Literature review.


• Method of research.

Each section except the introduction should have an appropriate bolded subheading. An abstract is not needed.

Title and Introduction

Start your assignment with a concise and informative title. Since that function of a title is as much to stir interest as it is to inform, it may be somewhat humorous or dramatic. However, take care that it is not spurious.

Begin the assignment with an introduction of the general topic to which you will be applying deterrence, rational choice, or social learning theory. This topic should address a particular gap that you perceive in criminal justice knowledge or practice that could be filled by research. Moreover, it should have implications for improvement of criminal justice policy and program assessment. For example, you may wish to apply the theory to questions related to capital punishment or determinate sentencing, or perhaps, an examination of whether higher crime rates can be expected in a recessionary period. As you make your topic selection, consider how the theory you choose will help you to create at least two testable hypotheses.

In APA style, the introduction does not require a subheading because it is known to come first. This general introduction should include a brief overview of the topic that will be addressed by the proposed research project you are designing. In particular, specify the potential contribution this project could make to the literature by indicating the gap in knowledge or practice that it would fill.

This section should be approximately 100–150 words.

Literature Review

Use the Capella library to research and locate at least one relevant research article from a peer-reviewed journal. You may use one of the articles from the unit readings. Briefly summarize the article, focusing carefully on how the article uses the theory in relation to the research project.

This section should be approximately 200–300 words.

Method of Research

Now, design your own study by applying deterrence, rational choice, or social learning theory. First, state the research question in one sentence. Then, provide two testable hypotheses. Describe the method of research you would use to test the theory. Be as precise and detailed as possible within the scope of this assignment. You will also show how the theory you have chosen relates to the research question, your hypotheses (at least two), and the method of research you are proposing. In other words, how did the theory derive the research question and your hypotheses?

This section should be approximately 300 words.

For more on the term hypothesis, see the iGuide page Statistics Terminology (link given in the resources).

Discussion

Describe how you would use deterrence, rational choice, or social learning theory to explain the findings you would expect to obtain. Identify at least one limitation of your own proposed project. Evaluate policy implications that could be taken from your proposed, theoretically informed research project.

This section should be approximately 300 words.

Assignment Requirements

Be sure that your assignment includes references to at least one theory-based peer-reviewed research article, and that it follows current APA guidelines. The total length of your assignment should be 800–1,000 words, excluding title page and reference page.

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