PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION AO1 & AO3

Question 1

Differential Association Theory (Psychological Explanation)

Answer 1

• DAT suggests that people learn the values, attitude, techniques and motives for criminal behaviour through association and interaction with different people.
• When a person is socialised into a group they will be exposed to values towards the law, some will be pro crime attitudes (PCA) and some anti crime attitudes.

Question 2

sutherland

Answer 2

• Sutherland suggests a person will commit crime if the number of pro-crime attitudes is greater
• than the number of anti-crime attitudes they are exposed to.
• He also argued that offenders learn techniques for committing crime from the people around them.

Question 3

Learning criminal acts

Answer 3

• eg. breaking into a house. These can be learned in a social environment or even in prison where techniques are eagerly taught and received which may explain reoffending after prison time.
• Furthermore, criminals observe role models (older brother) dealing drugs, and watching the technique they’re using means they are more likely to commit crime and imitate the behaviour

Question 4

One strength of DAT is that it has explanatory power as it can be used to explain all accounts for
crimes in society.

Answer 4

• For example, Sutherland recognised some crimes (e.g. burglary) may be from certain working class communities.
• And, the middle class learn ways from colleagues/others how to commit more corporate crimes, e.g. money laundering.
• This means it can explain a wide range of crimes, from both
  middle class and working class, and so not focused on one sector.
• This is an advantage as findings can be generalised to a wider range of people and can explain all types of crime in society

Question 5

One strength of DAT is that it is a better explanation that moves away from biological accounts of
crime.

Answer 5

• For example, the theory emphasises the fact that dysfunctional social circumstances and environment may be more to blame than dysfunctional people.
• This allows for better treatments such as replacing pro crime friendship groups to prevent people from gaining pro crime attitudes. This is an advantage as it helps keep society safer, and reduce crime.
• Furthermore, the DAT is more desirable as it contains less eugenic policies as it allows people to be treated rather than the biological explanations which would stop people from procreating.

Question 6

One limitation of DAT is that it’s difficult to test.

Answer 6

• For example, it’s hard to see the number of pro-criminal attitudes a person has, or has been exposed to. Therefore cannot put a numerical value on it, and so it’s difficult to operationalise.
• Being unable to measure it means we cannot be sure to what extent a person has been influenced by pro crime attitudes and therefore we can’t find out the point in which they want to offend.
• This is a disadvantage as it doesn’t meet scientific criteria and therefore it reduces scientific credibility.

Question 7

One limitation of DAT is that not everyone who is exposed to pro crime attitudes, commits crime.

Answer 7

• For example, humans are governed by mortality, freewill and emotion and so there is no specific way a human will act.
• This means that the approach doesn’t account for individual differences and therefore we can not assume everyone will behave in the same manner.
• This is a disadvantage as it is a highlydeterministic assumption.
• Furthermore, strips out free will and so is incompatible with the criminal justice system- due to the fact it’s based on accountability.