Anticipated rewards

Definition

Anticipated rewards are the expected benefits or positive outcomes that an individual expects to receive from a specific behavior or action. This concept is crucial in understanding how people make decisions, particularly in the context of social interactions and learning, as it shapes their motivations and influences their behavior based on the perceived advantages of engaging in certain activities.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Anticipated rewards play a significant role in motivating individuals to engage in specific behaviors, especially if they expect those behaviors to yield desirable outcomes.
2. In social learning, individuals often look to their peers or role models to gauge what rewards might come from certain actions, influencing their choices.
3. When individuals associate certain behaviors with positive anticipated rewards, they are more likely to repeat those behaviors in the future.
4. Anticipated rewards can vary significantly based on an individual's personal experiences, cultural background, and social environment.
5. In criminal behavior, individuals may commit offenses when they believe the anticipated rewards outweigh the risks or potential punishments.

Review Questions

• How do anticipated rewards influence an individual's decision-making process in social contexts?
  • Anticipated rewards significantly shape an individual's decision-making by providing a framework for evaluating the potential benefits of engaging in certain behaviors. When people consider participating in activities, they weigh the expected positive outcomes against possible risks. This evaluation often leads them to mimic behaviors they observe in others who are rewarded for similar actions, highlighting the importance of anticipated rewards in social learning.
• Discuss how anticipated rewards are incorporated into Differential Association Theory and its implications for understanding criminal behavior.
  • Differential Association Theory incorporates anticipated rewards by suggesting that individuals learn criminal behavior through interactions with others who promote such behaviors. The theory posits that when individuals are exposed to favorable definitions regarding crime—meaning they anticipate positive outcomes from criminal acts—they are more likely to engage in those behaviors. This emphasizes the role of social influences and expectations in shaping one's likelihood to commit crime.
• Evaluate the impact of anticipated rewards on behavioral reinforcement and how this connection can explain repeated criminal activity.
  • Anticipated rewards heavily impact behavioral reinforcement by encouraging individuals to repeat actions that have previously yielded positive results. In terms of criminal activity, if a person perceives that committing a crime leads to significant gains—like financial profit or social status—they may continue engaging in such behavior despite risks. This cycle illustrates how the expectation of rewards can perpetuate criminal behavior, leading individuals to dismiss the consequences while focusing on potential benefits.

Related terms

Social Learning Theory: A theory that suggests people learn behaviors through observation, imitation, and modeling others, influenced by the anticipated rewards they observe.

Differential Association Theory: A theory proposing that criminal behavior is learned through interactions with others, where individuals weigh the anticipated rewards against potential consequences.

Behavioral Reinforcement: The process through which a behavior is strengthened by the consequences that follow, often linked to the anticipation of positive outcomes.