Theories of crime exam 1 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Cesare Beccaria is known for which criminological school of thought?
answer
The classical school
question
Which of the following statements about the demonic perspective is true?
answer
Crime is caused by supernatural forces
question
According to classical thinking, offenders _____.
answer
perceive that the pleasures of crime outweigh the pains of punishment
question
The belief that individuals, including criminals, are rational actors characterizes which criminological perspective?
answer
The classical perspective
question
Beccaria's ideas about human nature and behavior are closely aligned with which of the following?
answer
Thomas Hobbes
question
The Classical School of criminology argued that _____.
answer
individuals choose to engage in crime based on a rational calculation of the costs versus benefits of crime
question
Which of the following policies would Cornish and Clarke, based on their rational choice theory, argue would be most effective in reducing the occurrence of criminal events?
answer
burglar alarms on houses
question
The idea that punishment reduces future crime among the people who have been punished is referred to as _____.
answer
specific deterrence
question
According to deterrence theory, all of the following are aspects of punishment thought to deter offender except for _____.
answer
equality
question
Strafford and Warr claim that direct avoidance of punishment plays a role in whether _____ occurs.
answer
specific deterrence
question
Which of the following aspects of punishment shows the most promise in terms of affecting crime, according to the research on general deterrence?
answer
certainty
question
In their rational choice theory, Cornish and Clarke assume which of the following?
answer
Individual rationality is constrained by all sorts of biological, psychological, and social factors.
question
The idea that choices about the costs versus benefits might be constrained by the availability of time and/or relevant information is referred to as _____.
answer
bounded rationality
question
Stafford and Warr argue that deterrence researchers should focus on _____.
answer
both general and specific deterrence
question
According to Cohen and Felson's routine activity theory, who among the following is least likely to be a crime victim?
answer
someone who is married and has children
question
According to Cohen and Felson's routine activity theory, why have women become more victimized by crime in the past few decades?
answer
Women are more likely to be away from home by themselves, such as going to work, going to college, and going out to bars.
question
According to Cohen and colleagues research in which they developed routine activities theory _____.
answer
crime increased starting in 1960 while, at the same time, the percentage of households unoccupied during the daytime increased
question
In offender search theory (also called crime pattern theory), what is the term used to refer to places like home, school, and work that offenders travel between in their daily activities?
answer
nodes
question
When crime is not really reduced, but is simply changed in some way, what has occurred?
answer
displacement
question
Which of the following is a hypothesis of routine activity theory?
answer
Expensive movable durable goods have higher risk of theft than bulky expensive items.
question
According to Lombroso's work, which of the following is true?
answer
Criminals are genetic throwbacks
question
Lombroso's The Criminal Man state which of the following?
answer
Criminal have physical traits that make them "cavemen" in appearance.
question
Which school of though suggests that crime is due to biological, psychological, and social forces beyond the individual's control?
answer
The positivist school
question
According to Lombroso's The Criminal Man, crime results from _____.
answer
biological primitiveness
question
Lombroso's ideas about the nature of crime and criminals were aligned with which of the following?
answer
Charles Darwin
question
Scientific evaluation of Lombroso's ideas in the early to mid-1900s showed that _____.
answer
comparisons of criminals and carefully matched non-criminals failed to support Lombroso's ideas on the impact of atavistic features
question
Lombroso's ideas were later criticized for implying which of the following type of crime-reduction policies?
answer
selective breeding
question
Which of the following is true of Glueck and Glueck's Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency?
answer
Sociologists rejected the Glueck's work, suggesting that it portrayed offenders as biologically deficient.
question
As discussed by Ellis and Walsh, a gene-based evolutionary theory of rape and sexual assault hypothesizes which of the following?
answer
Men genetically predisposed to rape will tend to be more promiscuous than other non-predisposed men.
question
A perspective suggesting that traits conducive to crime may provide a reproductive advantage is _____.
answer
gene-based evolutionary theory
question
As discussed by Ellis and Walsh, a gene-based evolutionary theory of child abuse and neglect hypothesizes which of the following?
answer
Children living with a non-genetically-related guardian are at higher risk of abuse and neglect as opposed to those living with a genetic relative.
question
When examining genetic influences on criminal behavior, crime is most likely when _____.
answer
both biological and adoptive parents are criminal
question
This hormone, which is associated with criminal behavior in adults, may explain gender differences in antisocial behavior: _____.
answer
testosterone
question
A criminologist who suggest that criminal behavior is affect by head injuries is subscribing to which perspective?
answer
"biological harms" perspective
question
Research on how the CNS and ANS can affect individual traits conducive to crime shows that, for instance, _____,
answer
crime, especially crimes that harm others, is more likely among those with low levels of serotonin
question
Psychophysiological research has shows that criminals _____.
answer
are under-aroused when compared to the general population
question
Age moderates the relationship of genetics on crime with _____.
answer
lower heritability estimates and higher shared environmental influence for childhood and adulthood
question
According to Caspi and colleagues' research, human personality consists of three super-traits, including _____.
answer
negative emotionality, positive emotionality, and constraint
question
According to the Caspi and colleagues research, which two personality traits were robust predictors of criminal/delinquent behavior?
answer
negative emotionality and constraint
question
Research showing that mononzygotic twins are more similar to one another in terms of criminal behavior than are dizygotic twins is supportive of which perspective?
answer
genetic influences on crime
question
Using Burgess's model of concentric zones, which zone is known as the "zone in transition?"
answer
zone 2
question
According to the research of Shaw and McKay, inner-city neighborhoods with high rates of crime _____.
answer
were characterized by high levels of poverty, heterogeneity, and transiency
question
According to Shaw and McKay, rates of juvenile crime are highest _____.
answer
in the zone in transition
question
The term that refers to mutual trust and support among residents as well as a willingness to intervene on the community's behalf is _____.
answer
collective efficacy
question
Which of the following statements about Shaw and McKay's theory and research is true?
answer
They argued that delinquency was caused when youths were not controlled by adults and were exposed to delinquent values taught to them by older kids or adult criminals.
question
The term that refers to the breakdown of social institutions in a community is known as _____.
answer
social disorganization
question
According to Sampson and Wilson's theory of race, crime, and urban inequality, which of the following is true?
answer
Poor black neighborhoods are more likely than poor white neighborhoods to be disorganized.
question
According to Sampson and Wilson's theory of race, crime, and urban inequality, which of the following is true?
answer
Disadvantaged, isolated neighborhoods develop a tolerance for deviance, seeing it as unavoidable given the structural circumstances.
question
Which of the following terms best describes the acceptance of violence in environments where it seems unavoidable and where alternative opportunities are limited?
answer
cognitive landscapes
question
To test their theory of collective efficacy, Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls utilized what sort of data?
answer
To test their theory of collective efficacy, Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls utilized what sort of data?
question
How do Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls extend social disorganization theory?
answer
by arguing that high rates of crime are linked to low levels of collective efficacy
question
According to the theory and research by Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls, which of the following is true?
answer
disadvantage reduces collective efficacy, which, in turn, increases crime rates
question
Policy aimed at providing community-based recreational programs for youth is most consistent with which research?
answer
Shaw and McKay's work, Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas
question
According to Shaw and McKay's research, which of the following is NOT a characteristic of inner-city areas?
answer
high deindustrialization
question
Using Burgess's model of urban development, factory jobs and inexpensive housing were likely to be found in which zone?
answer
zone in transition
question
"Macro-level" theory refers to _____.
answer
theory that studies the characteristics of geographical units
question
How do Sampson and Groves extend social disorganization theory?
answer
by providing a groundbreaking empirical test of social disorganization theory in which "social disorganization" was actually measured
question
The idea that socially disorganized areas emerge out of a natural process of urban growth is most challenged by which work?
answer
Sampson and Wilson's work, A Theory of Race, Crime, and Urban Inequality
question
Theorists and researchers from the Chicago School argued that human behavior is developed and changed by _____.
answer
the social and physical environment of the person
question
Chicago School researchers collected social data in order to gain a sense of the characteristics of large groups of people. This is referred to as _____.
answer
the ecological study technique
