Psychological Explanations: Differential Assosiation Theory

Question 1

What is differential association theory?

Answer 1

An explanation for offending which proposes that, through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending behaviours.

Question 2

What did Sutherland develop regarding scientific principles?

Answer 2

‘The conditions which are said to cause crime should be present when crime is present, and they should be absent when crime is absent’.

Question 3

What was Sutherland’s (1924) theory designed to do?

Answer 3

Discriminate between individuals who become offenders and those who do not, whatever their social class or ethnic background.

Question 4

What are learning attitudes?

Answer 4

When a person is socialised into a group they will be exposed to values and attitudes towards the law.

Question 5

What are the 2 types of learning attitudes?

Answer 5

-Anti-crime
-Pro-crime

Question 6

What does Sutherland argue about your learning attitude?

Answer 6

If the number of pro-criminal attitudes the person comes to acquire outweighs the number of anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend.

Question 7

What are learning techniques?

Answer 7

The would-be offender may also learn particular techniques for committing offences.
E.g. how to break into someone’s house through a locked window.

Question 8

Why do prisoners reoffend according to Sutherland?

Answer 8

While inside prison, inmates will learn specific techniques of offending from other, more experienced offenders that they may put into practice upon their release.
-> learning may occur through observational learning and imitation or direct tuition from offending peers.