Forensic Psychology - 9. Psychological Explanations: 4. Differential Associations Flashcards
DAT
Differential association theory
According to the DAT, how do people learn to be criminals?
Through the process of socialisation
What will a criminal family or deviant group promote?
Pro-crime values
Who is the main developer of the DAT?
Sutherland
When are you likely to offend according to Sutherland?
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
How can you predict the likelihood of an individual committing a crime according to the DAT?
By identifying the frequency, intensity and duration of exposure an individual has to pro-crime values
Increased likelihood of committing a crime =`
High frequency + high intensity + high duration
How does one gain pro-crime attitudes?
Through associating/having relationships with others who hold those views
How can offending be scientifically measured according to the DAT?
If the number of pro-crime attitudes a person acquires outweighs the number of anti-crime attitudes, they will go on to offend
What are the 2 parts of Sutherland’s DAT?
Leaned attitudes towards crime
Learning of specific criminal acts
How can the two parts of the DAT be used to explain re-offending?
Criminals could re-offend because they learn new techniques of committing crime from their criminal peers or they learn more pro-crime values
Who carried out the Cambridge Study into the DAT in 2006?
Farrington et al
Method of Farrington et al
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
What were the most significant childhood risk factors for later offending in Farrington et al’s study?
Family criminality
Daring or risk-taking
Low school attainment (E.g. low grades)
Poverty
Poor parenting
By the end of Farrington et al’s study, what percentage of participants had at least one conviction between age 10 and 50?
41% of participants had at least one conviction between age 10 and 50
Conclusion of Farrington et al’s study
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
Positive evaluation for the DAT: types of crime it explains
Can answer for more types of crimes for all races, gender and social groups than any other theory/explanation
Positive evaluation for the DAT: realistic
More realistic approach as the emphasis is moved away from early biological accounts of criminality
Positive evaluation for the DAT: research support by Osborne and West
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
Positive evaluation for the DAT: what fraction of the UK prison population has a relative in prison according to Walmsley et al?
1/3 of UK prison population also had relatives in prison
Negative evaluation for the DAT: individual differences
Doesn’t account for individual differences as some people are more easily influenced than others
Negative evaluation for the DAT: environmentally deterministic
Suggests that if your family is criminal, you’ll be criminal too
Negative evaluation for the DAT: scientific measurment
Sutherland’s method of calculating the criminal personality is flawed. How do you accurately count up someone’s pro-crime values?
Negative evaluation for the DAT: effectiveness for all types of crimes
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
Negative evaluation for the DAT: biological factors
Neglects biological factors. The Diathesis-stress model takes into account a wider range of approaches
Negative evaluation for the DAT: social sensitivity
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)