Economic-behavioral Analysis of Delinquent Acts Based on the Report of Juvenile Offenders in Confinement

• Autor(a) principal: Holand, Ariela Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Oliveira-Castro, Jorge
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Psicologia (Universidade de Brasília. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/revistaptp/article/view/23493
• topic: Behavioral economics, Delinquent behavior, Behavioral perspective model; Economia comportamental, Comportamento delinquente, Behavioral perspective model

From a behavioral-economic approach of delinquent behavior, this research aimed to identify potential consequences that could alter the cost of crime from the offender’s perspective. A questionnaire prepared to assess the level of informational and utilitarian reinforcement and punishment of these consequences was answered by 118 juvenile offenders in confinement. The reported level of informational reinforcement did not predict the level of multiplicity of offenses committed. The reported levels of utilitarian reinforcement, informational punishment, and utilitarian punishment predicted this level of multiplicity. Only the level of utilitarian punishment decreased the likelihood of an offender having been involved in more types of criminal acts. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.