Differential Association Theory: The Psychology of Criminal Behavior

When ordinary folks turn into crooks and criminals, it’s sometimes because they learn from the wrong crowds. Edwin Sutherland’s pioneering work in criminology greatly expanded our understanding of how this happens exactly. His theory of "differential association" suggests that there are 9 tenets to learning criminal behavior — and that we learn it almost like we learn anything else.

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COLLABORATORS
Script: Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Mithril
Coloring: Nalin
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Production: Selina Bador
Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda

SOUNDTRACKS
Tarantella - Adieu Adieu
Inspector Swing - Studio Le Bus

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Today we know that we are also influenced by genetic factors, hormones and special circumstances. Watch Robert Sapolsky explains the McNaughton rule and how brain damage can explain criminal behavior.

Read the tragic case of Charles Whitman who, on August 1 1966, took the life of his mother, his wife and many innocent others, before he was executed. In a letter he wrote before the tragedy unfolded, he asked to check on his brain stating that something must have gone terribly wrong inside it. An autopsy after his death revealed a large tumor inside his head. His story, if true, is testimony that not only the environment, but also biological causes may be responsible for crimes that happen.

Watch Asch’s Conformity Experiment to understand how easy people conform to group behavior.
Learn more about social learning theory or watch our video on Bandura’s Bobo Beatdown Experiments

SOURCES
Edwin Sutherland

Differential association

Students computer crime

White Collar Crime

White Collar Crime, original article

Differential association theory (Sutherland)

Charles Whiteman

Brain and the amygdala

CLASSROOM EXERCISE
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:46 9 Precepts of differential association
02:47 What do you think?
03:08 Patrons credit
03:17 Ending

#criminology #socialscience #sproutslearning #sociallearning

[sprouts]

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[fabooshka]

According to Sutherland's theory, it appears prison incarceration is a flawed part of the criminal justice system. If Robin has learnt to adopt criminal behavior, sending him to prison without guidance could consolidate his learning as he would be surrounded by guards who possibly antagonize prisoners, and cellmates who express a similar criminal ideology. These factors in prison would simply consolidate Robin's "knowledge" on crime instead of introducing him to an alternative ideology that teaches him the problems with crime so he could experience proper rehabilitation.

[charliepeterson]

I’ll share my opinion. Jails should not be viewed as punishment for criminals, but as a rehabilitation place for criminals to be separated from society until their mental health improves, and they’re ready to function within society. I honestly believe more artwork on the walls, and more sunlight and fresh air would go a long way in jails.

[milquetoastmusic]

How do politicans fall into this scheme?

[masteragario]

Breaking the speed limit is criminal behaviour, as is jay walking and stealing the hotel slippers . We all do it but do we all associate with criminals?

[ramspace]

I liked the first sketch. A lady leaning against a wall, while the other is holding a book with a cross on it.
It made me seriously wonder who of the two is the criminal, or the potential criminal.
Too funny.

[tosreturns]

This truly is an over-simplification of the issue. The assertion in the video is that crime is committed for the sake of crime, which is circular reasoning. There was no mention of the impact of material access on human need for survival.

With talk of the "ordinary folks, " I have to wonder if there will be a video on the "non-ordinary folks, " who just ARE because they ARE, because they exist, because.

[talbrott]

This, coming from an old guy, is only partially true. Some of it untrue. People have chemical reward systems that reward co-operative behaviours and cheating, some people are weighted very heavily towards cheating. The learning part would not influence some people at all.

[egonzalezm]

i was just one second ahead of the vid thinking how this compares to standard education systems and questioning judicial law re: jail & crime

i feel proud

[waad]

tv shows, songs, social media have a HUGE affect on this..

[ServeraServera]

The problem with laws is that It's easier to prohibit something rather than make it legal with regulations
If people do something and the government prohibits it rather than legislating it, then people will still do that thing no matter what
Two big examples which both are related to bikes are enduro and the tuning of 49cc bikes

[hunnybadger]

Empathy
Security
Education
Compassion
Social safety nets and services

[arc]

Speaking as someone who went to jail because of mental health issues that have since been addressed, the notion that any prisoner is rehabilitated or receives adequate mental health services in jail is laughable. Our criminal justice system needs to change significantly.

[arserobinson]

It's not just young offenders, it's first time offenders or lesser offenders. Within prison they have little option other than mixing with repeat and more serious offenders whom may contaminate/influence them.

[edwardsjcblues]

Ah, yes, Edwin Sutherland, who infamously claimed “financial cost of white-collar crime is probably several times as great as the financial cost of all the crimes which are customarily regarded as the ‘crime problem’” and called out examples like Ivar Kreuger and his Ponzi scheme
-
“Public enemies numbered one to six secured $130, 000 by burglary and robbery in 1938, ” Sutherland observed, “ while the sum stolen by Krueger [sic] is estimated at $250, 000, 000, or nearly two thousand times as much”
-
In addition to the "social cost"
-
"White-collar crimes violate trust and therefore create mistrust, which lowers social morale and produces social disorganization on a large scale [...] other crimes produce relatively little effect on social institutions or social organization."
-
Is really going to assert that the young boy is being told they are robbing from the rich to give to the poor and that is the real problem.

Try again, and this time use some unbiased images to go with your "research"

[shurale]

To my mind, jail can make everything worse

[hunnybadger]

You ever heard of crimes of desperation?

[jorgeblanco]

How about creating a fair society where regular people never feel the need to do crime so we can focus on actual psycho criminals?
“Good laws, bad laws” sure buddy that’s definitely not a thing

[tosreturns]

I saw that first image, and it shows a great deal of bias here. I thought that the person holding the bible fell into the wrong crowd, because they did.

Could be MY bias showing, but it also could be YOUR bias showing.

[MlCHOR]

First mistake is that you assume religious people are good.