psych explanation: differential association theory

Question 1

AO1: the theory

Answer 1

proposes that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending behaviour

the people you associate with influence the behaviours you acquire through reinforcement, modelling and association

socialisation in prison can explain why so many convicts reoffend

Question 2

AO1: scientific basis

Answer 2

developed a set of scientific principles that could explain all types of offending. His theory was designed to discriminate between individuals who became offenders and those who do not, whatever their social class or ethnic background

Question 3

AO1: offenders arise from 2 factors

Answer 3

learned attitudes towards offending & different types of crime (pro crime or ant crime)

learning techniques for committing offences

Question 4

AO3: strength: Focuses on circumstances of the offender, not blaming it on the person

However, risk of stereotyping

Answer 4

P: unlike Lombroso’s atavistic theory, differential association theory shifts the blame for criminal behaviour
E/E: focuses on the fact that deviant social circumstances and environments may be more to blame for offending that deviant people.
L: a more realistic solution instead of eugenics
HOWEVER, runs the risk of stereotyping individuals who come from impoverished, crime ridden backgrounds as ‘unavoidably offenders”, this may cause psychological harm.

Question 5

AO3: strength- ability to account for crime across society

Answer 5

P: ability to account for crime across society
E: recognised that some types of offences, such as burglary may be clustered within certain inner-city, working class communities.
E: Shows that it is also the case that some offences are clustered amongst more affluent groups in society.
L: shows its not just the ‘lower’ classes who commit offences & that differential association theory can be used to explain all offences

Question 6

AO3: limitation- predictions of differential association are difficult to test.

Answer 6

P: predictions of differential association are difficult to test.
E: the concepts that he sutherland proposed are not testable because they can’t be operationalised
E: e.g. it is hard to see how the number of pro crime attitudes a person has could be measured when pro crime values outnumber the anti-crime values

Question 7

AO3: strength- research support - farrington

however, biologically determinist

Answer 7

P: research support- farrington
E: longitudinal study of the development of offending and antisocial behaviour in 411 boys. Study began when the boys were aged 8 in 1961 and all living in a deprived, inner city area of south london
E: 41% were convicted of at least one offence between age 10 and 50. Childhood risks were family criminality, daring or risk taking, low school attainment, poverty and poor parenting.
HOWEVER, biologically determinist as doesn’t consider biological factors like combination of genes