Psychological explanations: Differential association Flashcards
Differential association theory proposes that individuals learn values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending behaviour through what?
Association and interaction with other people
Differential association theory proposes that individuals learn what through association and interaction with other people?
values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending behaviour
One person might associate with people who have very negative attitudes towards crime and another might be exposed to more positive attitudes. What is this an example of?
Differential association
Differential association theory says that offending is a _______ behaviour
learned
Differential association theory says that offending is a learned behaviour which may be acquired in the same way/a different way compared to any other behaviour
in the same way
Differential association theory suggests that offending behaviour is acquired through processes of what?
Learning
Differential association theory suggests that offending behaviour is learnt most often through…
interactions with significant others who the child values most and spends most time with
Differential association theory suggests that offending behaviour is learnt most often through interactions with significant others who the child values most and spends most time with, such as…
the family and peer group
Differential association suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict…
how likely it is that an individual will commit offences
True/False: Differential association suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit offences
True
What do we need to know about exposure to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit offences with differential association theory?
Frequency, intensity and duration of exposure to deviant and non-deviant values
Differential association theory suggests that we should be able to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit offences, providing that we know which three things about their exposure to deviant and non-deviant values?
Frequency, intensity and duration of exposure
Differential association theory suggests that we should be able to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit offences, providing that we know the frequency, intensity and duration of exposure to…
deviant and non-deviant values
Differential association says that offending is a learned behaviour that arises from which two factors?
Learned attitudes towards offending and the learning of specific offending acts/techniques
When a person is socialised into a group what will happen in terms of differential association?
They will become exposed to values and attitudes towards the law
What does Sutherland argue about the number of pro-criminal attitudes a person comes to acquire?
If the number of pro-criminal attitudes a person comes to acquire outweighs the number of anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend
True/False: According to differential association theory, the learning process involved in learning attitudes towards offending is the same whether a person is learning offending or conformity to the law
True
In addition to being exposed to pro-criminal attitudes, differential association says that would-be offenders may also learn particular…
techniques for committing offences
Give an example of an offending act/technique that someone may learn through differential association
Any from how to break into someone’s house through a locked window, how to disable a car stereo before stealing it, etc.
True/False: Differential association theory can account for offending within all sectors of society
True
Sutherland recognised that some types of _______ may be clustered within certain inner-city, working-class communities
offences
Sutherland recognised that some offences are clustered among more ________ groups in society
affluent
Which offences was Sutherland particularly interested in?
So-called ‘white-collar’ or corporate offences