An Empirical Test of Differential Association Theory*

The main empirical question for this paper is whether boys in close friendship groups have the same specific patterns of delinquent behavior. The delinquent behavior of boys in close friendship triads was compared with that expected for six kinds of delinquent behavior. Two ways of accounting for the observed distribution were examined, one based on a random model and the other on a deduc tion from differential association theory. We conclude that the probability of an individual committing a specific kind of delinquent act depends upon the commission of the act by other members of the triad, though this is not independent of the social class of boys. The actual delinquent behavior of boys in triads departs somewhat less from the random than the differential association hypothesis, at least for the more serious offenses.