Psychological Explanations: Differential Associations

Question 1

Sutherland Date

Answer 1

1924

Question 2

Sutherland attempted to develop a set of scientific principles that

Answer 2

Could explain all types of offending

Question 3

Sutherland believed there were clear cause and effect links between

Answer 3

The background of people of people who become criminals and those who do not

Question 4

Social experiences could

Answer 4

Clearly predict criminal behaviour

Question 5

Sutherland’s theory was designed to

Answer 5

Ignore race, class or ethnic background

Question 6

Offending behaviour is acquired through the process of

Answer 6

Learning

Question 7

Learning occurs through

Answer 7

Interactions with significant others that the child associated with - such as family and peer groups

Question 8

Differential association refers to the degree to which a person

Answer 8

Associates with individuals - they spend time with some people more then others, most especially the ‘significant others’

Question 9

Criminality arises from two factors

Answer 9

Learning attitudes towards crime

Learning of specific criminal acts

Question 10

When a person is socialised into a group

Answer 10

They will be exposed to certain values and attitudes

Question 11

This includes values and attitudes towards law

Answer 11

Some of these will go pro-crime and some will be anti-crime

Question 12

Sutherland argues that if the number of pro-criminal attitudes a person come to acquire outweighs the number of anti-crime attitudes

Answer 12

They will go and offend

Question 13

Differential association theory proposes that

Answer 13

It should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit crime

Question 14

The prediction is made on our knowledge of the

Answer 14

Frequency, intensity and duration of an individuals exposure to deviant and non deviant norms and values

Question 15

In addition of being exposed to pro-criminal attitudes

Answer 15

The would-be offender may also learn particular techniques for committing crime

Question 16

Sutherland’s theory can account for why

Answer 16

So many convicts released from prison go on to reoffend

Question 17

It is reasonable to assume that whitest inside prison

Answer 17

Inmates will be exposed to pro-criminal attitudes and also learn specific techniques to offending from more experienced criminals

Question 18

The theory can account for crime in all sectors

Answer 18

Of society

Question 19

Sutherland recognised some crimes are

Answer 19

Clustered in working class communities while others occur in affluent sections of society

Question 20

Sutherland was particularly interested in

Answer 20

Corporate crime and how this may be a feature of middle-class social groups who share deviant norms and values

Question 21

Sutherland moved the emphasis away from

Answer 21

Early biological accounts of crime and from those that pointed to individual weaknesses or immorality

Question 22

Differential association theory draws attention to the fact that

Answer 22

Dysfunctional social circumstances and environments may be more to blame for criminality than dysfunctional people

Question 23

Differential association theory is more desirable than others because

Answer 23

It offers a more realistic solution to the problem instead of eugenics

Question 24

Despite Sutherland promise to provide a scientific and mathematic framework for predicting offending behaviour

Answer 24

Has been proved difficult to test

Question 25

It is unclear how we can measure the number of

Answer 25

Pro/anti criminal attitudes a person is exposed to - how can we know when a criminal is triggered?

Question 26

Sutherland suggested family attitudes are crucial in determining

Answer 26

Whether someone turns to crime

Question 27

Evidence that criminality runs in families could also be down to

Answer 27

Genetics