Interactive Demo
Rational Choice Utility Simulator
Rational Choice Utility Simulator is a free, interactive learning demo from the Criminology and Criminal Justice course on Lykke. It helps you build intuition for Rational Choice Theory, Positivism, Social Disorganization, Deterrence. Play with it directly in your browser — it features 5 sliders. This demo lives in the “Criminological Theory” section of the course.
How to use this demo
- Drag the “Gain (G) 500”, “Certainty (P) 10%”, “Severity (C) 1000” sliders to change the inputs and watch the result update live.
- Experiment freely — there's nothing to break, and every change is reversible.
What you'll explore
- Rational Choice Theory
- Positivism
- Social Disorganization
- Deterrence
- Social Contract
Frequently asked questions
What does the Rational Choice Utility Simulator demo do?
A rational actor would choose to commit the crime. Rational Choice Utility Simulator lets you explore this hands-on instead of only reading about it.
What Criminology and Criminal Justice concept does Rational Choice Utility Simulator teach?
A deep dive into the various schools of thought that attempt to explain why individuals commit crimes. It focuses on Rational Choice Theory, Positivism, Social Disorganization, Deterrence, Social Contract from the “Criminological Theory” section.
What can I control in Rational Choice Utility Simulator?
The “Gain (G) 500”, “Certainty (P) 10%”, “Severity (C) 1000” sliders change the key inputs. Every change updates the visualization in real time, so you can see exactly how each variable affects the outcome.
How does Rational Choice Utility Simulator fit into the Criminology and Criminal Justice course?
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of Criminology and Criminal Justice, blending theoretical frameworks with the practical operations of the American legal system. Students will examine the causes of crimi… This demo is the interactive piece for the “Criminological Theory” section. Open the full Criminology and Criminal Justice course wiki at https://www.getlykke.com/explore/public/criminology-and-criminal-justice-f6d79bda-1ca6-42f1-9940-643cb1edfe95 for notes, flashcards, quizzes and the other demos.
What will I understand better after using Rational Choice Utility Simulator?
You'll build intuition for Rational Choice Theory, Positivism, Social Disorganization, Deterrence, Social Contract — and, crucially, see how they behave when you change the inputs, which is hard to get from a textbook or lecture on Criminology and Criminal Justice alone.
From the Criminology and Criminal Justice course
This interactive demo is part of the Criminological Theory section. Explore the full Criminology and Criminal Justice course wiki on Lykke — with notes, flashcards, quizzes and more interactive demos.
Open the Criminology and Criminal Justice course →