Deck 7: Deviant Behavior and Social Control

Question 1

Deion is strong and muscular. Men with this body type are often expected to be:

A) reserved.
B) timid.
C) easy-going.
D) aggressive.
E) slow learners.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What percent of crime in the United States constitutes crimes against property?

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%
E) 80%

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following would be considered a dysfunction of deviance?

A) It makes life difficult and unpredictable.
B) It causes confusion about society s norms and values.
C) It undermines trust.
D) It diverts valuable resources.
E) all of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Giving a child a hug for doing something right would be an example of a(n):

A) informal positive sanction.
B) informal removal of a sanction.
C) formal positive sanction.
D) informal deterrent for deviance.
E) natural parental behavior.

Question 5

In order to decide whether a specific act is deviant, it is necessary to know:

A) exactly what primary socializers taught the deviant.
B) how many people commit the same act.
C) the social context of the act.
D) how state law defined deviance.
E) the duration of the act.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of Sheldon s basic body types?

A) ectomorph
B) mesomorph
C) paleomorph
D) endomorph
E) none of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT true of deviance?

A) It helps to maintain group boundaries.
B) It helps to reinforce appropriate behavior.
C) It is rare in highly-structured societies.
D) It provides a societal safety valve.
E) It can be instrumental in affecting social change.

Question 8

Which of the following statements include characteristics of sanctions?

A) They can be negative or positive.
B) They can be formal or informal.
C) They are part of external means of control.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways in which deviance is dysfunctional to society?

A) It forces the group to organize in order to limit future acts of deviance.
B) It causes confusion about norms and values of society.
C) It undermines members trust in the predictability of social relationships.
D) It diverts valuable resources that could be used for meeting other social needs.
E) all of the above

Question 10

Historically, the first attempts to scientifically explain deviant behavior focused on:

A) biological factors.
B) environmental factors.
C) the people with whom one associates.
D) individual personality.
E) peer group socialization.

Question 11

_____ are rewards and penalties that group members use to regulate an individual s behavior.

A) Punishments
B) Felonies
C) Anomie
D) Sanctions
E) none of the above

Question 12

It is 3 a.m. and Tracy is driving home from work when she comes to an intersection where the light is red. Although she can see no other cars on the road in any direction, Tracy waits until the light turns green. Sociologically, this is an example of:

A) deterrence.
B) internal means of control.
C) external means of control.
D) sanctions.
E) operant conditioning.

Question 13

Each in their own way, Lombroso and Sheldon attempted to explain deviant behavior on the basis of:

A) psychological orientation.
B) anatomical characteristics.
C) early childhood experiences.
D) differential association.
E) neighborhood experiences.

Question 14

Honking your horn at someone who cuts into your lane in a dangerous fashion is an example of a(n):

A) formal negative sanction.
B) informal negative sanction.
C) formal positive sanction.
D) informal positive sanction.
E) spontaneous sanction.

Question 15

Carol engages in several acts of nonconformity that violate her community s norms. Sociologists would call her actions:

A) insanity.
B) eccentric behavior.
C) moral failure.
D) deviance.
E) inconsistency.

Question 16

A university places a fraternity on probation because some of its members served alcoholic drinks to minors. The university in this case was using:

A) informal sanctions.
B) formal sanctions.
C) an internal means of social control.
D) a moral judgment to make its decision.
E) prejudice against social groups.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a function of deviance?

A) reinforcing group attachments
B) helping teach society s rules
C) ensuring that others will not violate the same norm
D) sometimes preventing more serious acts of deviance
E) defining group boundaries

Question 18

People conform to social norms because:

A) they fear external punishments.
B) they have internalized the standards.
C) they crave law and order.
D) fines are expensive.
E) most people cannot afford good attorneys.

Question 19

What data was used by Lombroso to predict deviant behavior?

A) head shape and size
B) birth order
C) personality
D) family size
E) arrest records

Question 20

Joe s boss, Jessica, catches him taking money from the office coffee fund. Joe explains he was not stealing, but rather getting what was owed him. He argues that Jessica not only charges a dollar for a cup of coffee costing only thirty cents, but also uses the company s napkins without paying for them. Which technique of neutralization is Joe using?

A) denial of responsibility
B) denial of victim
C) condemnation of the authorities
D) appeal to group loyalties

Question 21

Which theory of deviance assumes that deviance can be deterred by strengthening the bonds that tie the individual to society?

A) control
B) strain
C) cultural transmission
D) psychological

Question 22

I m not really a bad person. It s just that I was drunk and I didn t know what I was doing. This is an example of which technique of neutralization?

A) denial of responsibility
B) denial of injury
C) appeal to a higher principle
D) denial of the victim
E) condemning the authorities

Question 23

According to control theory, a youth who stays out of trouble with the law most likely:

A) had few unpleasant experiences during childhood.
B) has no delinquent peers to put pressure on him or her.
C) has strong relationships with parents, teachers, and peers.
D) has confidence in his or her future occupational success.
E) has the mental ability to avoid slipping into deviant acts.

Question 24

Durkheim saw anomie as a condition of:

A) weak law enforcement.
B) dependency.
C) overemphasis on the welfare of the group.
D) normlessness where cultural guidelines are weak.
E) mental instability.

Question 25

Frank uses the copy machine at work for personal reasons, arguing that he does not pay because the company charges too much for personal copies. This explanation is a:

A) denial of injury.
B) denial of victim.
C) denial of reality.
D) condemnation of the authorities.

Question 26

According to Durkheim s anomie theory, an act is deviant because it:

A) violates the common conscience.
B) violates universal norms.
C) decreases group interdependence.
D) violates an individual s moral code.
E) is simply morally wrong.

Question 27

According to Sykes and Matza, the process that makes it possible for us to justify illegal or deviant behavior is called:

A) drop-out.
B) external means of social control.
C) commitment to deviant conformity.
D) deviant socialization.
E) techniques of neutralization.

Question 28

Theorists who view crime as individual choice state that crime is more likely to occur when:

A) benefits lie in the future.
B) benefits for committing crime are greater than for not committing crime.
C) peers disapprove of the act.
D) punishment is immediate rather than uncertain in the future.
E) the individual has no other behavioral choice.

Question 29

Which theories of deviance are based on the idea that people adjust their behavior in response to the rewards and punishments they receive?

A) biological
B) psychoanalytic
C) anomic
D) behavioral
E) environmental

Question 30

According to Merton s theory, a person who advocates the total abolition of capitalism and its replacement with socialism in American society would be called a (an):

A) conformist.
B) retreatist.
C) innovator.
D) rebel.
E) ritualist.

Question 31

Merton would label a person who attempts to win a race by using steroids as a(n):

A) conformist.
B) retreatist.
C) innovator.
D) rebel.
E) ritualist.

Question 32

Control theory is primarily concerned with the:

A) attachment of an individual to others in society.
B) way in which certain behaviors are labeled deviant.
C) problems faced by a person during his or her childhood.
D) conflict between social goals and means faced by some.
E) psychological makeup of deviants and non-deviants.

Question 33

Psychoanalytic approaches to deviance are criticized because they:

A) are too specific in their focus.
B) cannot easily be tested.
C) ignore the role of society.
D) ignore an individual s past experiences.
E) rely too much on genetic endowment.

Question 34

Reggie has held the same bank job for 15 years. He is always on time, never misses a day, and follows every rule to the letter even though he knows he won t be promoted. According to Merton s theory, Reggie would be labeled a(n):

A) ritualist.
B) innovator.
C) retreatist.
D) conformist
E) rebel.

Question 35

Who of the following is known for his work on psychoanalytic theories?

A) mile Durkheim
B) Robert K. Merton
C) Sigmund Freud
D) James Q. Wilson
E) Cesare Lombroso

Question 36

Techniques of neutralization help people to:

A) control deviant acts.
B) justify deviant acts.
C) decrease deviant acts.
D) turn major crimes into minor ones.
E) avoid prosecution for their acts.

Question 37

Psychoanalytic theory defines that part of the personality that represents the demands and restrictions of society as the:

A) id.
B) ego.
C) superego.
D) unconscious.
E) thantos.

Question 38

The theorist most closely associated with control theory is:

A) Lombroso.
B) Merton.
C) Freud.
D) Durkheim.
E) Hirschi.

Question 39

Wilson and Herrnstein state that people become deviant because:

A) their families have failed to socialize them properly.
B) failing to get jobs, they have nowhere else to turn in order to get by.
C) they have become part of a deviant subculture.
D) they feel the rewards of crime outweigh the prospects of punishment.
E) they are genetically pre-programmed for criminal activity.

Question 40

Willie occasionally bets on sports events even though this is illegal. Willie says no one really gets hurt as all involved are consenting adults. This rationale:

A) denies responsibility.
B) denies the injury.
C) denies the victim.
D) appeals to higher principles.
E) is a condemnation of the authorities.

Question 41

Together, norms and values make up the moral code of a culture.

Question 42

What are the three levels in the police system in the United States?

A) city, county, and state
B) city, state, and federal region
C) federal, state, and local
D) National Security Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and State Police

Question 43

Scholars have been unsuccessful at proposing theories to address crime and deviance.

Question 44

According to Durkheim, some deviance can be healthy for societies.

Question 45

Inmates must serve a substantial portion of their sentence, according to:

A) truth in sentencing laws.
B) zero tolerance laws.
C) mandatory 10 sentences.
D) federal prison guidelines.

Question 46

Which of the following is true about violent victimization rates in the U.S. today?

A) Victimization rates for people 16 to 19 are 15 to 20 times higher than for people 65 and older.
B) Victimization rates rise with age, peaking among people over 50.
C) Victimization rates for people over 65 are disproportionately high.
D) Victimization rates for people under 30 are most likely to be related to property crimes.

Question 47

An investment banker who sold bundles of home mortgages with high interest even though he knew there was a high risk of loss or default without warning his clients was engaged in:

A) white collar crime.
B) property crimes.
C) capitalist crimes.
D) crimes against the state.

Question 48

Consensus model of law is a functionalist model.

Question 49

Cultural transmission theory is based on the idea that deviant and conforming behaviors are:

A) something an individual is born with.
B) due to labeling.
C) rational and personal choices.
D) learned from others.
E) biological predispositions passed through family lines.

Question 50

The idea that deviance is culturally transmitted or learned in neighborhoods and through personal contacts is basic to which of the following theories?

A) differential association
B) labeling
C) strain
D) anomie
E) neutralization

Question 51

The decline in death row inmates is related to the fact that it costs much more money to keep an inmate on death row than in federal prison.

Question 52

The research of Shaw and McKay, which linked crime to certain types of urban neighborhoods, provided the foundation for which theories of deviance?

A) labeling
B) control
C) anomie
D) cultural transmission

Question 53

Elderly victims of violent crime are most likely to be assaulted by:

A) a young minority male outside the home.
B) a young male of their own ethnicity outside the home.
C) a relative inside the home.
D) a male or female from a low income background engaged in mail theft.

Question 54

Moral code is the symbolic system by which behavior is viewed as right or wrong.

Question 55

Which country has the highest rate of inmates per 100,000 people?

A) India
B) Russia
C) South Africa
D) United States

Question 56

To be a crime, a deviant act must be defined in a formal code upheld by political authority.

Question 57

What is the funnel effect?

A) The number of people convicted of crimes is much larger than the number of beds in prisons, leading judges to accept plea bargains and compromise sentences.
B) The number of people in prison is much larger than the number of people released every year, trapping millions of inmates in a culture of violence.
C) Only a few people will be able to take advantage of programs to help prisoners prepare for the job market after release.
D) The number of crimes is much greater than the number of people who are punished for committing a crime, leading people to have less confidence in the system.

Question 58

There are extremely few instances in which deviance can be beneficial for a society.

Question 59

From a sociological perspective, behavior can be classified as normal or deviant only with reference to the group in which it occurs.

Question 60

Normal behavior conforms to the norms of the group in which it occurs.

Question 61

The lack of strong attachments to parents, teachers, and peers is a causal factor in the cultural transmission theory of deviance.

Question 62

Durkheim argued that in modern highly differentiated societies, individuals can become morally disoriented, a condition he called anomie.

Question 63

Sykes and Matza argue that secondary deviance refers to deviance committed in secondary groups.

Question 64

Wilson and Herrnstein proposed that criminal activity, like all human behavior, is a product of a rational choice by the individual as a result of weighing its costs and benefits.

Question 65

Psychological explanations emphasize cognitive or emotional factors within the individual as the cause of deviance.

Question 66

Internal means of control consist of how the individual learned other people s responses to norms of behavior.

Question 67

The theory of differential association predicts that regular and intimate relations with people holding deviant attitudes about obeying the community s laws will produce deviant behavior.

Question 68

Laws emerge from Maslow s hierarchy of needs, according to Sutherland.

Question 69

Informal sanctions have greater impact than formal sanctions on individuals behavior and self-image.

Question 70

Theories such as those proposed by Wilson and Herrnstein stressed the importance of inherited factors in producing deviance.

Question 71

Control theorists like Hirschi have argued that everyone has the potential to become deviant.

Question 72

Differential association holds that while criminal techniques are learned from others, criminal attitudes are biologically transmitted from generation to generation.

Question 73

Anomie is a condition fostered by community so moods are related to society.

Question 74

Control theory argues that deviance is primarily prevented by an individual s strong internal moral compass, and the approval or disapproval of other people has little effect.

Question 75

Differential association theory suggests that criminals act on the irrational impulses of the id because they failed to develop a proper ego in the socialization process.

Question 76

When individuals have strong bonds to society, their behavior will conform to conventional social norms.

Question 77

According to Freud, those with untamed ids are likely to have deviant tendencies.

Question 78

The founder of criminology, Cesare Lombroso, viewed criminals as evolutionary throwbacks to lower forms of life.

Question 79

Guilt is an example of an internal social control mechanism.

Question 80

According to Durkheim, complex, industrialized societies are mechanically integrated.