The Role of Observation and Reinforcement in the Formation of Raskolnikov's Character in Crime and Punishment Based on Albert Bandura's Theory

Subject Areas : Psychology of Art and Literature

Neda Yans ^{1 *}

1 - Postdoctoral Research in Persian Language and Literature, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Received: 2025-06-16 Accepted : 2025-07-15 Published : 2025-09-11

Keywords: Keywords: Raskolnikov, Bandura, social learning, reinforcement, observation, Dostoevsky, literary psychology.,

Abstract :

Fyodor Dostoevsky's psychological masterpiece Crime and Punishment presents a profound picture of the internal human conflict caught in moral and social doubts. Based on Albert Bandura's social learning theory, this article attempts to analyze the gradual process of Raskolnikov's character and behavior formation from the perspective of concepts such as observation, modeling, and reinforcement. In a dynamic process between external actions and internal motivations, Raskolnikov gradually comes to believe that it is possible to violate moral principles in order to achieve a noble goal through observing the power-seeking, self-interested, and immoral behaviors of those around him (such as Napoleon, Svidrigailov, and Luzhin) and their consequences. This understanding, influenced by social reinforcements (admiration of power) and personal failures, leads to his decision to commit murder. However, after committing the crime, encountering negative reinforcements (such as remorse, social rejection, mental illness) and observing Sonya's sacrifice, love, and religious belief, creates a turning point in him and the process of his psychological reconstruction begins. By presenting numerous examples from the novel's text and analyzing them carefully within Bandura's theoretical framework, the article shows how observational learning and the reinforcement system can be drivers and inhibitors of complex human behaviors. Ultimately, the present psychological reading leads not only to a clearer understanding of the logic of the character's behavior, but also to a deeper understanding of the function of psychological theories in the analysis of classical literary texts.

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