Psychological Explanations: Differential Association Theory

Question 1

what is differential association theory

Answer 1

focuses on the influence of learning and how the peol;e aorund you affect your behaviour

Question 2

who developed the DAT

Answer 2

sutherland

Question 3

outline sutherlands DAT

Answer 3

• criminality happens through socialisation
• culuture around you influences youir attitudes towards crime
• favourable or unfavourable attitudes are learnt and everyones are different
• if pro crime attitudes outweight anti crime attitudes then you are more likely to become an offender
• if pro crime attitudes are reinforced then you continue

Question 4

Liam grew up in an area where crime was common. His older brother often bragged about shoplifting, and his friends regularly skipped school and sold stolen items. Liam began to see stealing as normal, eventually saying, “Everyone does it around here — it’s just part of surviving,” before starting to shoplift himself.
Explain why a lawyer might argue that Liam was destined to become a criminal, according to differential association theory.

Answer 4

According to Sutherland’s differential association theory, Liam was exposed to more pro-criminal attitudes than anti-criminal ones. He learned techniques, values, and justifications for offending from people close to him. This made offending seem normal, which led to him committing crime himself.

Question 5

explain supporting evidence for the DAT

Answer 5

farrington et al
* followed 411 in a deprived area of london
* 41% convicted of at least one offence b etween ages 10 and 50

Question 6

strength

evaluate DAT

Answer 6

• P - real world appplication
• Eg - DAt explains how crime can be passed through communities and families
• Ex - this helps in designing prevention strategies, such as early invention
• L - increases its usefullness in nreducing offending
• H - it may not explain spontaneous or individual offending

Question 7

limitation

evaluate DAT

Answer 7

• P - difficult to test scientifically
• Eg - pro and anti crime attitudes are hard to measure or quantify
• Ex - makes it unfalsifiable and unscientific
• L - weakens the theorys credability as a psychological explanation of crime
• H - still offers a strong alternative to biological views