Cognitive theorists contend that chronically delinquent youths use fewer cues than most people to process information, use violence to get what they want, and react in a volatile fashion to the slightest provocation because they:

The correct answer is have learned improper scripts

Cognitive theory emerged in the United States between the 1950s and 1960s as a form of criticism of behavioralism, which postulated, in general, learning as a result of conditioning individuals when exposed to a situation of stimulus and response.

According to the main cognitive theorists, among which Piaget, Wallon and Vigotsky stand out, it is necessary to understand the subject's action in the knowledge construction process. Despite differences between their theories, they sought to understand how learning occurs with regard to the subject's mental structures and what needs to be done to learn.