Psychology forensics: Differential association theory

What is the the idea of diffrential association theory?

Argues that criminal behaviour is learned, not inherited . It is learned through contact with others who already engage in offending

Who developed Differential association theory and why?

Sutherland developend the diffrential association theory to explain how crime is transmitted between people through social interactions

According to Differential association theory, how is criminal behaviour learned?

Learned through interactions with others, especially those who already hold criminal attitudes or engage in offending

Which relationships have the biggest influence on learning criminality ?

Close intimate relationships such as family and close friends

What does differential association theory mean by learning “tricks of the trade”?

Refers to learning specific criminal techniques such as breaking into houses or evading police

Showing how offending skills are socially transmitted

What does it meant to learn a criminal mindset?

Adopting criminal attitudes, such as seeing police as the enemy or viewing law abiding behaviour as foolish

This increases the likelihood of offending

How does repeated expoure to criminals affect offending?

Strengthens criminal attitudes and behaviours , making offending more likely

This explains how criminality becomes normalised

How does differential assocation theory say people learn criminality?

People learn through observation, imitation, repitition and internalisation

Behaviour is learned and processed like normal behaviour

What does differential association theory mean by criminality expressing needs and values?

Criminal behavioiur reflects the same motivations and goals e.g money and status that non criminals have

These guide there criminal behaviour to seek power and status through non legitime ways

(they value the same types of things but get them a diffrent way)

Why did sutherland argue that crime does not happen in a vacuum?

Becouse crime is observed and learned through social interaction, not created indapendently

(crime does not develop on its own, it always develops becouse of people and situational / enviromental factors)

What are examples of learned criminal attitudes?

Disregarding for others rights

Seeing law abiding people as foolish

Viewing police as enimies

These attitudes increase the likelihood of offending

What are examples of learned criminal acts?

Learning how to break into houses and cards

where to sell and buy drugs

How to avoid capture

(shows that criminal skills are socially learned)

According to Sutherland when does a person become a criminal?

When criminal attitudes outweigh non criminal attitudes in their environment

Explaining why some people offend while others don’t

What did Farrington et al find about familial transmission of crime?

Boys were more likely to offend if they had convicted parents , lived in poverty, had low education or came from large families

Suporting the diffrential association theory by showing criminal attitudes are learned within families

What is familial crime?

Increased likelyness that criminal behvaiour and attitudes are passed through generations and spread through family members

What did reiss and Ehodes find about peer influence?

Boys in close friendship traids were more likely to offend if other members also offended

Supporting the differential association theory showing how criminal behaviour is transmitted between individals in friend groups

Why is the Dfferential association theory still relevant today?

Explains why young people join criminal gangs for belonging and how offenders become more skilled through contact with experienced criminals

Showing how offending develops socially

How did differential association theory advance explations of criminality?

Shifted focus from biological and moral explanations to social psychological ones highlighting upbringing and enviroment

Why is the differential association theory considered over simplistic (ITS NOT reductionalist)?

Assumes criminality will follow if criminal attitudes outweigh non criminal ones, ignoring human complexity

Not everyone exposed to crime becomes an offender

What major behvaiour pattern does differnetial association theory fail to explain?

Does not explain why some people are surrounded by criminal influences but never offend

Suggesting other factors e.g personality and resilience also matter

Why is differential association theory enviromentally deterministc?

IT assumes exposure to criminal attitudes will inevitably lead to offending

REducing free will and personality responsibility

How does differential association theory relate to the nature versus nurture debate?

It strongly supports nurture , arguing that offending is learned through soical interaction, not inherited biologically

How does differential association theory shift focus away from biological explanations?

Emphasises enviroment, family and peer influence rather than genes or brain structure

Highlighting social causes of offending

Why is differential association theory not reductionalist?

Becouse it argues that several social factors combine to cause offending , not one single factor

This includes

Learned criminal attitudes

Learned criminal techinques

Influence of close relationship

Balance between criminal and non criminal exposure

Social norms and values