F8. Psychological explanations: DAT

Question 1

DAT

Answer 1

• Crime is learned behaviour, explained using SLT.
• ‘Role models’ = criminal peers; prisons are ‘criminal universities’.
• accurately predict likelihood that individual will become criminal, based on exposure to pro and anti-criminal attitudes.
• Observers/individuals learn general attitudes to crime.
• Frequency/intensity (exposed to pro-criminal instead of anti), higher likelihood of criminal.

Question 2

• Eval: DAT measuring

Answer 2

Difficult to objectively and reliably measure frequency and intensity of an individuals exposure to criminal attitudes

Question 3

• Eval: DAT Assumption

Answer 3

• Incorrect to assume that because an individual has been exposed to more pro-criminal that anti-criminal attitudes, that they will automatically become a criminal.
• Deterministic labelling may lead to a ‘Self-fulfilling prophecy’

Question 4

+ Eval: DAT

Answer 4

• blames environment not individual
• eugenics (biological explanation of criminality) NOT an option
• fair and realistic explanation of crime which doesn’t hold individual accountable.