Forensic Psychology - 9. Psychological Explanations: 4. Differential Associations

Question 1

DAT

Answer 1

Differential association theory

Question 2

According to the DAT, how do people learn to be criminals?

Answer 2

Through the process of socialisation

Question 3

What will a criminal family or deviant group promote?

Answer 3

Pro-crime values

Question 4

Who is the main developer of the DAT?

Answer 4

Sutherland

Question 5

When are you likely to offend according to Sutherland?

Answer 5

If you’re exposed to a lot of pro-crime values (highlighting positives of criminal activity), compared to anti-crime values, you are more likely to offend

Question 6

How can you predict the likelihood of an individual committing a crime according to the DAT?

Answer 6

By identifying the frequency, intensity and duration of exposure an individual has to pro-crime values

Question 7

Increased likelihood of committing a crime =`

Answer 7

High frequency + high intensity + high duration

Question 8

How does one gain pro-crime attitudes?

Answer 8

Through associating/having relationships with others who hold those views

Question 9

How can offending be scientifically measured according to the DAT?

Answer 9

If the number of pro-crime attitudes a person acquires outweighs the number of anti-crime attitudes, they will go on to offend

Question 10

What are the 2 parts of Sutherland’s DAT?

Answer 10

Leaned attitudes towards crime
Learning of specific criminal acts

Question 11

How can the two parts of the DAT be used to explain re-offending?

Answer 11

Criminals could re-offend because they learn new techniques of committing crime from their criminal peers or they learn more pro-crime values

Question 12

Who carried out the Cambridge Study into the DAT in 2006?

Answer 12

Farrington et al

Question 13

Method of Farrington et al

Answer 13

Followed 411 males who, at the beginning of the study, were living in a w/c deprived area in South London.
Longitudinal study of the development of offending and antisocial behaviour of 411 males.
Study stated when participants were 8-years-old in 1961

Question 14

What were the most significant childhood risk factors for later offending in Farrington et al’s study?

Answer 14

Family criminality
Daring or risk-taking
Low school attainment (E.g. low grades)
Poverty
Poor parenting

Question 15

By the end of Farrington et al’s study, what percentage of participants had at least one conviction between age 10 and 50?

Answer 15

41% of participants had at least one conviction between age 10 and 50

Question 16

Conclusion of Farrington et al’s study

Answer 16

Offenders are likely to come from families and groups who have pro-crime attitudes.
The criminal activities in which they are involved are similar to the ones they have learned

Question 17

Positive evaluation for the DAT: types of crime it explains

Answer 17

Can answer for more types of crimes for all races, gender and social groups than any other theory/explanation

Question 18

Positive evaluation for the DAT: realistic

Answer 18

More realistic approach as the emphasis is moved away from early biological accounts of criminality

Question 19

Positive evaluation for the DAT: research support by Osborne and West

Answer 19

Osborne and West found where there is a father with a criminal conviction, 40% of the sons had committed a crime by age 18 compared to 13% of sons of non-criminal fathers

Question 20

Positive evaluation for the DAT: what fraction of the UK prison population has a relative in prison according to Walmsley et al?

Answer 20

1/3 of UK prison population also had relatives in prison

Question 21

Negative evaluation for the DAT: individual differences

Answer 21

Doesn’t account for individual differences as some people are more easily influenced than others

Question 22

Negative evaluation for the DAT: environmentally deterministic

Answer 22

Suggests that if your family is criminal, you’ll be criminal too

Question 23

Negative evaluation for the DAT: scientific measurment

Answer 23

Sutherland’s method of calculating the criminal personality is flawed. How do you accurately count up someone’s pro-crime values?

Question 24

Negative evaluation for the DAT: effectiveness for all types of crimes

Answer 24

May be more effective for certain crimes than others - E.g. you can learn to steal however it may not apply to serial killers or sexual criminals as most of these individuals don’t come from families who commit those crimes or condone them

Question 25

Negative evaluation for the DAT: biological factors

Answer 25

Neglects biological factors. The Diathesis-stress model takes into account a wider range of approaches

Question 26

Negative evaluation for the DAT: social sensitivity

Answer 26

This theory may lead to discrim8ination by creating the stereotype that you are a criminal if you associate with criminals (E.g. have a relative or a friend who is a criminal)