Psychological explanations: Differential Association Theory Flashcards
What does differential association theory propose, and who proposed the theory?
It propose that individuals learn the values, techniques and motives for criminal behaviour through association and interaction with different people
Sutherland
What was Sutherland’s aim in developing the theory?
He aimed to create a set of scientific principles that could explain all types of offending
What is the key principle behind Sutherland’s theory?
“The conditions which are said to cause crime should be present when crime is present, and they should be absent when crime is absent”
How is offending behaviour learnt according to Differential Association Theory?
Offending behaviour is learnt the same way as any other behaviour though the process of learning
How does the Differential Association Theory explain differences in criminal behaviour?
It distinguishes between individuals who became criminals and those who do not, regardless of their class or ethnic background
Through which interactions does learning criminal behaviour most often occur?
Learning occurs through interactions with significant others such as family and peer groups
What are the two key factors that contribute to criminality in Differential Association Theory?
The two key factors that contribute to criminality are:
1. Learned attitudes towards crimes
2. Learning specific criminal acts
According to differential association theory, how does socialisation influence criminal behaviour?
When a person is socialised into a group, they are exposed to both pro - crime and anti- crime values and attitudes towards the law
According to Sutherland, what determines whether an individual will offend?
If the number of pro - criminal attitudes a person acquires outweighs the number of anti - criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend
How does differential association theory propose predicting criminal behaviour?
It suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely an individual is to commit crime based on the frequency, intensity and duration of their exposure to deviant and non - deviant norms and values
Besides learning pro - criminal attitudes, what else might a would be offender learn?
They may learn specific techniques for committing crime, such as breaking into a house through a locked window or disabling a car stereo before stealing it
How does differential association theory explain the spread of crime within certain social groups and communities?
It suggest that crime can ‘breed’ in specific social groups and communities as individuals learn criminal attitudes and techniques from those around them
How does differential association theory explain high reoffending rates among released prisoners?
In prison, immates may learn specific techniques of offending from more experienced criminals, which they may then put into practice upon release
Through which learning processes might an individual acquire criminal techniques in prison?
Through observational learning, imitation or direct tuition from criminal peers
What is a strength of the differential association theory? (crime accounted for in all sectors of society)
> A strength of the differential association theory is the ability to account for crime within all sectors of society.
> Sutherland recognised some crimes, like burglary, may be more common in working class communities.
> Alternatively some crimes are more prevalent amongst affluent groups in society.
> Sutherland was interested more so in “white - collar” crimes and how these may be a feature of middle class social groups who share deviant norms and values
What is a limitation of the differential association theory? (failed to proc)
> Sutherland had intended to provide a method of protecting future offending behavior, however the differential association theory has proved rather difficult to test.
> Measuring the number of pro - criminal attitudes an individual has been exposed to, is hard.
> Additionally, the theory is based on the idea offending behaviour occurs when pro - criminal values outnumber anti - criminal values.
> Yet, the inability to measure these, makes it difficult to know the point when a criminal career is triggered.
> As a result, the scientific credibility is undermined as a satisfactory solution is not provided
What is a strength of the differential association theory? (shift of focus)
> Sutherland’s theory successfully shifted the focus away from biological accounts of crime, as well as away from those that explained offending as the product of an individual’s weakness or immorality.
> The differential association theory draws attention on the role of dysfunctional social circumstances and environments, rather than dysfunctional people, diverting the blame.
> Therefore this approach is deemed more desirable, as it offers a more realistic solution to the crime problem instead of eugenics or punishment (biological + morality solution)
What is the limitation of differential association theory? ([promotion of stereotypes)
> Arguably, not everyone exposed to criminal influences goes on to commit a crime.
> The differential association theory poses a risk of stereotyping individuals who come from impoverished, crime ridden backgrounds as “unavoidably criminal”.
> The theory suggest exposure to pro - criminal value is sufficient to produce offending behaviour, ultimately ignoring the fact people may choose to not offend, despite such influences
