<P> In criminology , rational choice theory adopts a utilitarian belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends , costs and benefits , and makes a rational choice . This method was designed by Cornish and Clarke to assist in thinking about situational crime prevention . It is assumed that crime is purposive behavior designed to meet the offender 's commonplace needs for such things as money , status , sex and excitement , and that meeting these needs involves the making of ( sometimes quite rudimentary ) decisions and choices , constrained as these are by limits , ability , and the availability of relevant information ... </P>
rational choice theory is rooted in the classical school of criminology developed by
Cornish and Clarke