Some theories in criminology believe that criminality is a function of individual socialization, how individuals have been influenced by their experiences or relationships with family relationships, peer groups, teachers, church, authority figures, and other agents of socialization. These are called learning theories, and specifically social learning theories, because criminology never really embraced the psychological determinism inherent in most learning psychologies. They are also less concerned for the content of what is learned (like cultural deviance theories), and more concerned with explaining the social process by which anyone, regardless of race, class, or gender, would have the potential to become a criminal. Social Learning, Control, and labeling theories are all examples of social process theories.
Learning is defined as habits and knowledge that develop as a result of experiences with the environment, as opposed to instincts, drives, reflexes, and genetic predispositions. Associationism (developed by Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, and Hume) is the oldest learning theory. It is based on the idea that the mind organizes sensory experiences in some way, and is called cognitive psychology today. Behaviorism (developed by Pavlov and Skinner) is the second oldest learning theory. It is based on the idea that the mind requires a physical response by the body in order to organize sensory associations. There are two types of learning in behavioral psychology: classical conditioning (where stimuli produce a given response without prior training); and operant conditioning (where rewards and punishments are used to reinforce given responses).
Examples of operant conditioning include verbal behavior, sexual behavior, driving a car, writing a paper, wearing clothing or living in a house. Most social behavior is of an operant nature. Imitation (sometimes called contagion) is the oldest social learning theory, and derives from the work of Trade (1843-1904), a sociologist who said crime begins as fashion and later becomes a custom.
