Which of the following is considered a metatheory about criminal behavior?

The choice referencing social learning as the primary variable used to explain criminal behavior is considered a metatheory because it encompasses a broad framework that integrates various specific theories of criminal behavior. Metatheories are overarching theories that provide a lens through which more specific theories can be understood and compared. By positing that the primary drive behind criminal behavior is social learning, this perspective invites examination of numerous processes such as imitation, reinforcement, and the influence of family and peers, thus enabling a comprehensive approach to understanding crime.

In contrast, biological determinism focuses on inherent traits and biological factors as the sole influencers of behavior, whereas social disorganization theory emphasizes the breakdown of community structures and its effects on crime, limiting its scope. Routine activity theory analyzes crime opportunity based on societal patterns but does not serve as a comprehensive framework to account for various influences on criminality as social learning does. Consequently, the choice that identifies social learning as the key explanatory variable effectively encapsulates a metatheoretical perspective that can be applied to interpret and analyze different aspects of criminal behavior.