Rational choice theory posits that behavior can be swayed by punishment. First, explain rational choice theory and why severity, swiftness, and certainty of punishment are important to the theory. Then, provide real world examples of how our system tries to make punishment severe, swift, and certain. Finally, argue for which of those three (severity, swiftness, or certainty) is most important to deterring criminal behavior.

A papers will fully synthesize the readings, offering insight and showing understanding of the material.

B papers will make reference to the readings, with some problems in logic or argument.

C papers will demonstrate a lack of knowledge or familiarity with readings, or only summarize.

D and E papers will fundamentally fail to address the assignment or show a lack of effort.

 

Rational Choice Theory

Rational choice theory, as the name suggests, is a theory that seeks to find rationalize or explain human behavior. The theory bases the rationalization on the reward or satisfaction that individuals anticipate to get out of engaging in a particular behavior. Therefore, rational choice theory assumes that human behavior is the result of personal choices, an aspect referred to as the rationality assumption (Hedström & Stern, 2017). This makes rational choice theory the most dominant approach that social sciences rely upon to conceptualize human behavior.

Understanding criminal behavior presents one of the many domains where rational choice theory is applied. In this field, rational choice theory assumes that the offenders engage in criminal behavior to attain certain rewards and satisfaction, with knowledge of the possible consequences of their behavior. Burns & Roszkowska (2016) posit that the individual engaging in certain behavior is usually aware of the existing alternatives. This leads to the assumption that the individual is also aware of the future outcomes or consequences of the action that he/she chooses in the given situation. This analogy provides significant insight into aspects of severity, swiftness, and certainty of punishing criminal behavior.

For instance, an individual who commits murder does so for a certain reason, which acts as the reward or satisfaction for this choice of action. At the same time, the individual is most likely to be aware of the outcomes of his/her actions, such as the possibility of imprisonment. The individual will also expect his/her punishment to be severe, including the possibility of life imprisonment. The element of swiftness is based on the amount of evidence that exists or the sooner the individual admits to committing the crime.

Of the three components of punishment, certainty is the most important in deterring criminal behavior because it ensures the offender pays for the damage caused through his/her criminal behavior. The severity of the punishment of criminal behavior is only important if the offender is certain that he/she will be punished. Swiftness is also influenced by certainty because it often does not matter how long it takes as long as justice is served. These factors make certainty the best component of punishment that deters criminal behavior.