Psychological explanations of offending: Differential association theory

Question 1

Outline

Answer 1

is a social learning theory of crime that proposes that individuals learn criminal behaviour through association and interaction with different people. This learning occurs often through interacting with important people in your life like family & friends.

Question 2

Learned attitudes towards crime

Answer 2

If the person is exposed to more pro-crime attitudes, than anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend. You can therefore mathematically predict the likelihood of offending.

Question 3

Learning of specific criminal acts

Answer 3

This relates learning certain techniques used by criminals such as breaking into houses or cars, committing bank fraud etc..

Question 4

Why offenders released from prison go on to reoffend

Answer 4

they learn techniques from other prisoners through imitation, observation and direct reinforcement of their behaviour from experienced criminals.

Question 5

Evaluation strength: explains sub-culture differences

Answer 5

This is due to the fact that it can explain how crime occurs in all areas of society rather than just one. It suggests that crime is determined by who you are in contact with.

Question 6

Evaluation strength: shifts focus away from biological theories

Answer 6

This has positive implications for reducing crime as it suggests we need to change the environment that are causing crime rather than just punishing people who we believe cannot change due to their biology.

Question 7

Evaluation strength: Farrington et al

Answer 7

did a longitudinal study of 411 males from ages 8 to 50 and found a key risk factor for committing crime was having criminal parents suggesting that this behaviour is learnt through direct & indirect reinforcement.

Question 8

Evaluation weakness: Individual differences

Answer 8

as not all people who are exposed to criminal behaviour will commit crime. This therefore overlooks free will.