Michael Angilletta, PhD BIO494 Module 3

1. Module 3:
Why People
Steal

2. Module 3: Day 1
A Sense of Property
What’s the difference between stealing and
harvesting? We wouldn’t say that bears steal
salmon from rivers and squirrels steal acorns
from trees. So why am I stealing if I take your
iphone when you’re not looking? Ah, perhaps
it has something to do with why I would wait
until no one’s looking! Today, we explore the
sense of property that people share and ask
whether this sense exists in closely related
primates. You will learn that stealing might
have been perfected by animals long before
humans walked the earth.

3. Module 3: Day 2
Economics of theft
Who would choose to be a thief when
they could be a professor? Well, every
job has its costs and benefits. Today, we’ll
explore the factors that cause people to
flow in and out of illegal trades such as
burglary and robbery. You will learn that
stealing can be a rational occupation for
some, especially when economic factors
decrease the opportunities for and
benefits of legal occupations.

4. Module 3: Day 3
Everyone steals
Show me a person who claims to
have never stolen something, and I’ll
show you a liar. Everyone steals, but
we learn how to rationalize our
thefts. Today, we learn how people
balance the financial benefit of
stealing against the emotional cost
of violating social norms.

5. Module 3: Day 4
Neurobiology of theft
What makes some people risk
imprisonment to steal while
others resist temptation? Today,
we’ll examine the neural
differences between those who
steal and those who don’t. You
will learn that genes play
a major role in whether
people turn to theft.

6. Module 3: Day 5
The future of theft
Just one generation ago, no one worried
about identity theft. Now a
technologically savvy thief can take your
money without ever stepping onto the
same continent. The growing reality of
cybercrime creates a new set of rules for
how professional thieves operate and
how honest people secure their money.
You will learn how the benefits of
cybertheft and the costs of cybersecurity
drive the evolution of stealing in the
wireless world of the internet.