Sutherland's Differential Association Theory Flashcards
What year did Sutherland propose his differential association theory (DAT)?
1939.
What did Sutherland’s DAT suggest?
That individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behaviour through association and interaction with different people.
Who can a child learn behaviour from?
Significant others that the child associates with (family and peer groups) as well as the wider neighbourhood.
What determines the differences in crime rates in difference areas?
The degree to which the local community support or oppose criminal involvement.
What is a potential criminal?
Someone who has learned pro-criminal attitudes from those around them.
What does a potential criminal learn?
- What types of crimes are acceptable in their community.
- What crime is worth committing.
- Particular techniques for committing crime.
How is criminal behaviour learned?
Individuals identify with role models and they provide behaviours to model and imitate.
If the role model is successful in criminal activities, what would this provide?
Vicarious reinforcement.
How may a child be directly reinforced?
Through operant conditioning for deviant behaviour through praise.
Why do individuals who have been imprisoned for minor offences often re-offend when they are released?
Spending time with other criminals in the institution make them likely to learn further criminal behaviours.
What should differential association be able to mathematically predict?
How likely it is for an individual to commit crime.
What factors must we know about the individually to mathematically predict how likely they are to offend?
The frequency, intensity, and duration of the deviant and non-deviant norms and values they are exposed to.
