Psychological Explanations: Differential Association Theory Flashcards
Which psychologist looked at differential association theory for offending?
Sunderland
What 2 things may be learned in association to offending?
Attitudes and techniques
Which approaches might D.A.T link to?
Behaviourism and Social Learning Theory
What type of crime did Sutherland relate his theory to?
White collar crime
Sutherland argues people will commit more crime when?
More pro-crime attitudes than anti-crime attitudes.
Did Sunderland believe criminal behaviour was learned or innate?
Learned rather than inherited, through associations with intimate personal groups.
How did Sunderland believe criminality developed?
Through a process of socialisation.
Where does the word differential associations come from?
Everyones associations with people are different and so different attitudes with be learned for each individual.
What do the attitudes/techniques have to be for people to continue committing crime?
Reinforced
How does differential association link to behaviourism?
Learn through classical and operant conditioning.
If committing crime gets you a reward/praise may increase likelihood.
Can also work via negative reinforcement - berated for not committing crime.
How does social learning theory link to differential association theory?
Learning through observation (pro-crime or anti attitudes) and imitation.
Seeing models rewarded or punished.
May retain criminal techniques for later.
In Farrington et al (2006) what was the procedure/sample?
The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, longitudinal survey of the development of offending and antisocial behaviour in 411 males. The study began when the children were aged 8 in 1961 and all living in a deprived, inner-city area of South London.
In Farrington et al (2006) what was the findings?
41% were convicted of at least one offence between age 10 and age 50. The average conviction career lasted from age 19 to 28 and included five convictions. The most important childhood risk factors’ at age 8-10 for later offending were measures of family criminality, daring or risk-taking, low school attainment, poverty and poor parenting.
What did Alarid et al (2000) do?
tested over 1100 newly convicted criminals finding that differential association theory served as a good general theory of crime and that it could explain offending behaviour, particularly in men.
What are some of the practical applications to differential association?
Not putting first time offenders in the same prison as experienced criminals, changing opinions on crime in particular social groups etc.
