Deck 9: Developmental Theories: Life Course, Propensity, and Trajectory

Question 1

Trajectory theories assume there is more than one type of criminal and more than one criminal path.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Racial disparity in the criminal justice system helps put minority group members at a disadvantage, increasing the likelihood that they will become embedded in criminal careers.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Developmental theories attempt to explain the natural history of a criminal career encompassing its onset, continuation, and termination.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The concept of population heterogeneity assumes that the propensity of an individual to participate in antisocial and/or criminal behaviors is an ever-evolving trait, changing frequently and increasing in severity.

Question 5

The early onset of antisocial behavior strongly predicts later and more serious criminality.

Question 6

Criminal career trajectories cannot be reversed even if life conditions improve.

Question 7

While problem behavior syndrome is linked to violent criminal activity, there is no explanatory research linking PBS to impulsiveness, low self ego, and drug abuse.

Question 8

A major criticism of the general theory of crime is that it fails to explain racial and gender differences in crime.

Question 9

Building social capital supports conventional behavior and inhibits deviant behavior.

Question 10

Social schematic theory relies on how people develop cognitive shortcuts to organize and interpret information.

Question 11

The crime and human nature model proposes that biological and psychological traits influence the crime-non-crime choice.

Question 12

Latent trait theories hold that human development is controlled by a "master trait" present at birth or soon after.

Question 13

According to latent trait theory, the propensity to commit crime is unstable, but the opportunity to commit crime remains stable over time.

Question 14

Life course theorists seek to understand why people enter a criminal way of life and, once they do, why they alter the trajectory of their criminal involvement.

Question 15

Research shows that both men and women have a greater likelihood of arrest when divorced compared with when they were married.

Question 16

Problem behavior syndrome portrays crime as the by-product of other social problems.

Question 17

The general theory of crime links the propensity to commit crime to low intelligence and body build.

Question 18

According to life course view, even as toddlers, people begin relationships and behaviors that may determine their entire life course

Question 19

Problem behavior syndrome is traditionally broken into three subcategories; these categories include behavioral, environmental, and personal perceptions.

Question 20

Regardless of gender or environment, those who maintain a latent trait may be predisposed to crime and are in danger of becoming career criminals.

Question 21

People with limited self-control tend to be impulsive.
​

Question 22

Research has found that children who are shy, or sometimes referred to as loners, are least likely to be abstainers and engage in higher rates of criminal activity as technological advances allow them to commit crime behind closed doors.

Question 23

Developmental theories attempt to provide a natural history of criminal careers by encompassing ______.

A) its onset, continuation, and termination
B) delinquency and criminal behaviors
C) unidimensional and multidimensional treatment efforts
D) offenders' race/ethnicity, age, and gender

Question 24

Measures of neuropsychological deficits, birth complications, and low birth weight all have found to have no significant impact on self-control.

Question 25

Research has shown that individuals with low resting ​heart rates may seek out dangerous and arousing behaviors to compensate for their biological condition.

Question 26

Using data from a longitudinal study of Pittsburgh youth, Loeber identified distinct pathways to crime. Which pathway begins at an early age with stubborn behavior?

A) The authority conflict pathway
B) The covert pathway
C) The overt pathway
D) The late bloomer pathway

Question 27

The integrative methodology in the early research of __________ formed the basis of today's developmental approach.

A) Keith J. Bell and Paul M. Klenowski
B) Eleanor Glueck and Sheldon Glueck
C) Rolf Loeber and Marc LeBlanc
D) Marvin Wolfgang and Terri Moffitt

Question 28

Loeber's covert pathway begins with minor, underhanded behaviors, such as lying and shoplifting.

Question 29

Life-course persisters may be considered "typical teenagers" who get into minor scrapes, first in adolescence and, later, in adulthood.

Question 30

How do life course theorists view criminality?

A) As an inflexible process
B) As a dynamic process
C) As an opportunity-driven process
D) As a static process

Question 31

Which is an inaccurate statement about problem behaviors and problem behavior syndrome?

A) All varieties of criminal behavior may be a part of a generalized problem behavior syndrome.
B) People suffering from one problem behavior condition typically exhibit many symptoms of the rest.
C) The more risk factors a person suffers, the greater the likelihood they will engage in antisocial behavior.
D) Problem behavior syndrome portrays crime as the product of other social problems.

Question 32

Late bloomers combine psychopathology with risk-taking behavior and poor social skills.

Question 33

According to life course theories, criminal opportunity, effective guardianship, and apprehension risk are __________ factors that can explain the onset, continuance, and desistance from crime.

A) personal
B) social
C) cognitive
D) situational

Question 34

Public policy programs based on developmental theory ______.

A) focus on deterrence through strict punishments
B) include mechanisms for reintegrating offenders into society
C) provide self-help treatments aimed at adult offenders
D) feature multisystemic treatments designed for at-risk youths

Question 35

Gottfredson and Hirschi trace the root cause of poor self-control to inadequate child-rearing practices by parents.

Question 36

Why is early onset an important factor in crime?

A) Because the earlier that antisocial behavior is identified, the earlier that turning points can be implemented
B) Because latent traits may have gone unnoticed or unidentified at birth
C) Because early onset of antisocial behavior predicts later and more serious criminality
D) Because early onset of antisocial behavior is void of the crime-non-crime choice mechanism suggested by Wilson and Herrnstein.

Question 37

In regard to public policy initiatives with developmental theory, programs aimed at strengthening children's social-emotional skills have been the least successful.

Question 38

One of the key principles of life course theory is that ______.

A) high verbal ability during childhood predicts persistence
B) persistent offenders begin their offending careers in late adolescence
C) the earlier the onset of criminality, the more specialized and violent the criminal career
D) the seeds of a criminal career are planted early in life

Question 39

Adolescents who do not engage in any deviant behavior, a path that places them outside of the norm for their age group, are referred to as abstainers.

Question 40

Latent trait theorists believe human development is controlled by a master trait present at birth or soon after that results in ______.

A) low intellectual development
B) verbal and physical aggression
C) an increased propensity to commit crime
D) a reduced ability to interpret social interactions

Question 41

According to latent trait theory, when does a latent trait appear?

A) At birth or soon after
B) During childhood
C) During adolescence
D) During early adulthood

Question 42

Gottfredson and Hirschi trace the root cause of poor self-control to ______.

A) lack of education
B) inadequate child-rearing practices
C) weak social bonds
D) peer associations

Question 43

According to the general theory of crime, being adventuresome, physical, and self-centered are all signs that a person possess ______.

A) high self-esteem
B) low self-esteem
C) high self-control
D) low self-control

Question 44

Adolescents who do not engage in any deviant behavior, a path which places them outside the norm for their age group are called ______.

A) ​abstainers
B) ​absentee criminals
C) ​non-utilitarians
D) ​double marginalizationers

Question 45

A pathway to deviance that begins at an early age with stubborn behavior and leads to property damage, and eventually escalates to more serious forms of theft and fraud.

A) Authority conflict pathway
B) Overt pathway
C) Covert pathway
D) Design pathway

Question 46

Although criminal offenders are people predisposed to crime, they are not robots who commit crime without restraint. According to the general theory of crime, change in the frequency of criminal activity is a function of ______.

A) change in one's level of impulsivity
B) change in one's level of self-control
C) change in criminal opportunity
D) change in environmental conditions

Question 47

According to Wilson and Herrnstein's crime and human nature view, a criminal incident occurs when an individual chooses criminal over conventional behavior. What factor influences that choice?

A) Social capital
B) A latent trait
C) Low self-control
D) Peer influence

Question 48

According to psychologist Terrie Moffit, most young offenders follow one of two paths; adolescent-limited and ______.

A) ​life course persisters
B) ​age of onsetters
C) adolescent pre-disposers
D) ​abstainers

Question 49

Cognitive frameworks that help people quickly process and sort through information are called ______.

A) ​schemas
B) ​latent traits
C) ​criminogenic structure
D) ​impulsive controls

Question 50

Life course theorists examine offending patterns and trends. Terrie Moffit describes adolescent-limited offenders as ______.

A) angry adolescents
B) typical teenagers
C) classic persisters
D) standard youth

Question 51

Gottfredson and Hirschi claim that the principles of self-control theory ______.

A) predominantly explain violent crime
B) predominantly explain property crime
C) predominantly explain street crime
D) can explain all varieties of criminal behavior

Question 52

According to Laub and Sampson, the life-changing events that alter the development of a criminal career are called ______.

A) ​turning points
B) ​hot spots
C) ​event dependencies
D) ​cumulative disadvantages

Question 53

Which of the following statements regarding gender differences and the general theory of crime is accurate?

A) The GTC predicts gender differences in self-control and crime.
B) There is little evidence that males are more impulsive than females.
C) Females are more likely to persist in crime due to low self-control.
D) Male juvenile offenders exhibit greater impulse control than female juvenile offenders until approximately 16 years of age when levels equalize.

Question 54

A pathway to a criminal career that begins with minor aggression and eventually escalates to violent crime.

A) Overt pathway
B) Covert pathway
C) Golden pathway
D) Authority conflict pathway

Question 55

Sampson and Laub's research indicates that building __________ and strong social bonds reduces the likelihood of long-term deviance.

A) knowledge
B) social capital
C) marketable skills
D) financial capital

Question 56

Which of the following statements is inaccurate in terms of the empirical research supporting Laub and Sampson's age-graded theory?

A) Criminality appears to be dynamic and is affected by behaviors occurring over the life course.
B) People who get involved with the justice system as adolescents may find that their career paths are blocked well into adulthood.
C) Criminal career trajectories are impossible to reverse, even if life conditions improve.
D) Accumulating social capital reduces crime rates.

Question 57

In their general theory of crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi consider the criminal offender and the criminal act as _______concepts.

A) separate
B) balanced
C) competing
D) opposite

Question 58

Laub and Sampson identify life events that enable adult offenders to desist from crime. Accordingly, they identify transitions as short-term events embedded in ______.

A) trajectories
B) social capital
C) marital relationships
D) pathways

Question 59

Which of the following is not one of the significant life-changing events that reduces criminality, according to Laub and Sampson?

A) Buying a car
B) Joining the military
C) Getting married
D) Getting a job

Question 60

Life course theories integrate personal, social, socialization, situational, and cognitive factors to explain human behavior. Personality and intelligence are __________ factors that can explain the onset and continuation of criminality.

A) personal
B) social
C) socialization
D) cognitive

Question 61

Positive, life-sustaining relations with individuals and institutions are known as _______________.

Question 62

The view that negative life events are connected and produce a hostile view of people and relationships, preference for immediate rewards, and a cynical view of conventional norms ​is known as ___________________.

Question 63

________________ refers to a person's ability to exercise restraint and control over his or her feelings, emotions, reactions, and behaviors.

Question 64

The concept of _______________ suggests that life events have a significant influence on future development.
​

Question 65

Lacking in thought or deliberation in decision making, an _________ person lacks close attention to details, has organizational problems, and is distracted easily.

Question 66

___________ theory is the view that a stable unchanging feature or characteristic, such as defective intelligence, makes people crime prone over the life course.

Question 67

According to Sampson and Laub, _________________ refer to the life-changing events that alter the development of a criminal career.

Question 68

The propensity to commit crime is stable; those who have it continue to commit crime over their life course. This is known as ____________________.

Question 69

The tendency of prior social problems to produce future ones that accumulate and undermine success are known as ________________.

Question 70

In regard to the subcategories of problem behavior syndrome, family dysfunction, unemployment, and school misconduct all are examples of _______________ problem behaviors.

Question 71

_______________ suggests there are multiple trajectories or paths into a criminal career and that there are subgroups within a population that follow distinctively different developmental routes toward and away from a criminal career.

Question 72

Latent trait theories assume that a _______________ exists that guides human development.

Question 73

If Catherine's criminal behavior began with minor behavior (shoplifting, lying) and eventually escalated to more serious forms of criminality, such as using stolen credit cards or dealing drugs, she most likely would be considered as taking which of the following pathways?

A) Covert
B) Authority conflict
C) Overt
D) Avoidance

Question 74

__________________________​ theory focuses on changes in criminality over the time brought about by shifts in experience and events which occur as one ages.

Question 75

Gottfredson and Hirschi's developmental theory that links crime and impulsivity and a lack of self-control is known as _____________.

Question 76

_____________ is the view that kids who begin engaging in antisocial behaviors at a very young age are the ones most at risk for a criminal career.

Question 77

Catherine was adopted at the age of 6. She is currently 14 years of age, attends public high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her mother is a stay-at-home mom, while her father recently lost his job as a lumberjack due to new deforestation laws. Using this information, answer the following questions. Catherine has been diagnosed with Problem Behavior Syndrome after she began using drugs, began experimenting sexually, and her health declined which is one reason she unsuccessfully attempted suicide. According to PBS, of the three subcategories of the theory, Catherine's issue most likely is ______.

A) ​personal
B) ​functional
C) ​environmental
D) ​overt

Question 78

The __________________ pathway escalates to aggressive acts beginning with aggression and leading to physical fighting and eventually violent crime.

Question 79

Cognitive frameworks known as ______________ help people quickly process and sort though information.

Question 80

Doctors have told Catherine's parents that her behavior is lacking thought or deliberation in decision making. This behavior would be considered ______.

A) ​impulsive
B) ​imprudent
C) ​controlling
D) ​age graded