Deck 2: Research Methods in Criminology

Question 1

According to the text, which of the following involves attempts to develop reasonable explanations of reality?

A) methodology
B) theories
C) observations
D) surveys

Answer 1

B

Question 2

______ involves the collection and analysis of accurate data or facts.

A) Methodology
B) Theories
C) Observations
D) Surveys

Answer 2

A

Question 3

If a criminologist conducts a study of an issue that he or she feels strongly about, there may be issues with the researcher remaining ______.

A) reliable
B) triangulated
C) objective
D) operationalized

Answer 3

C

Question 4

As an independent field, criminology has ______.

A) largely disregarded the issue of ethics in research
B) long recognized the ethical codes of its parent disciplines but only recently begun to adopt its own ethical guidelines
C) long relied upon its own code of ethics, compiled by the American Society of Criminology since the early 1900s
D) long relied upon its own code of ethics, compiled by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences since the early 1900s

Question 5

Which of the following does criminology's subject matter concentrate on?

A) groups
B) attitudes
C) victims
D) physical facts

Question 6

According to the code of ethics adopted by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), researchers should do all of the following except ______.

A) acknowledge limitations of research
B) partially report findings
C) honor commitments
D) disclose financial support and sponsorship

Question 7

______ involves a system of mutual trust and obligation between the researcher and the subject.

A) Reciprocity
B) Validity
C) Reliability
D) Triangulation

Question 8

While there is no complete consensus in defining who should be considered "criminal," for which of the following do criminologists most strongly agree that the term should be used?

A) those who have been convicted of a crime
B) those who have committed deviant acts before the age of 12
C) those who are of a "criminal mind"
D) long-term recidivists who have repeatedly been found guilty

Question 9

A concept that has been operationalized or measured in a specific manner and that can vary and is usually of a quantitative nature is known as a ______.

A) variable
B) triangle
C) theory
D) method

Question 10

Which of the following involves the process of defining concepts by describing how they are being measured?

A) conceptualization
B) triangulation
C) operationalization
D) reliability

Question 11

Which of the following agencies is responsible for the publication of the UCR?

A) Central Intelligence Agency
B) Federal Bureau of Investigation
C) Secret Service
D) U.S. Marshalls

Question 12

Sources of crime statistics include all of the following except ______.

A) experiments
B) case studies
C) participant observation
D) subjective notes

Question 13

All of the following crimes are included in the Uniform Crime Report's Part 1 offenses except ______.

A) burglary
B) murder
C) petty theft
D) aggravated assault

Question 14

Which of the following is not an identified shortcoming of the Uniform Crime Report?

A) The recorded statistics represent only a portion of the true crime rate of a community.
B) Most federal offenses, "victimless" crimes, and white-collar crimes appear in the UCR.
C) The crime index is made up primarily of property crimes.
D) The crime rate is calculated on the basis of decennial census population figures.

Question 15

The crime ______ is a calculation that expresses the total number of index crimes per 100,000 population.

A) statistic
B) degree
C) ratio
D) rate

Question 16

Which of the following is a fanatical adherence to a particular research method, often at the expense of a concern for substance, known as?

A) methodological narcissism
B) research incoherence
C) telescopic visioning
D) triangulation

Question 17

Which of the following research methodologies do the use of pretests and posttests apply to?

A) ethnography
B) experimentation
C) participant observation
D) secondary analysis

Question 18

If participants in an experiment have an equal probability of being assigned to the experimental or control group, this is accomplished through ______.

A) methodological narcissism
B) random assignment
C) pretests
D) posttests

Question 19

The classical experimental design contains all of the following key elements except ______.

A) equivalence
B) pretests and posttests
C) experimental and control groups
D) objectivity and subjectivity

Question 20

______ refers to the assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups in such a manner that they are assumed to be alike in all major respects.

A) Equivalence
B) Pretests and posttests
C) Experimental and control groups
D) Objectivity and subjectivity

Question 21

The Department of Justice evaluates "what works" in criminology and criminal justice on the assumption that it makes little sense to continue to invest in programs that do not work. This describes ______.

A) scared straight
B) uniform crime report
C) evidence-based research
D) hands-on research

Question 22

Which of the following sources of data includes detailed information on criminal incidents, including location, time, and presence of weapon?

A) UCR
B) NCVS
C) NIBRS
D) DSM-V

Question 23

When conducting research with human participants, criminologists must develop a system of mutual trust and obligation between the researcher and subject. This is referred to as ______.

A) reliability
B) objectivity
C) validity
D) reciprocity

Question 24

A criminologist wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the socialization process of a state police academy. Which of the following methods would be the most appropriate method for obtaining such an understanding?

A) using existing sources of official data
B) distributing self-report surveys
C) running an experiment under laboratory conditions
D) engaging in participant observation

Question 25

Participant observation procedures include all of the following except ______.

A) avoid using tape recorders and other gadgets
B) keep your eyes and ears open
C) use surveys and questionnaires
D) do not pretend to be one of them

Question 26

A criminologist wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the subculture of a street gang in a particular city. Which of the following methods would be the most appropriate method for obtaining such an understanding?

A) using existing sources of official data
B) distributing self-report surveys
C) running an experiment under laboratory conditions
D) engaging in participant observation

Question 27

Which of the following is true of participant observation in the field of criminology?

A) The researcher should carefully conceal his or her real identity and pretend to be part of the group being studied.
B) Tape recorders should be used in the field to ensure accuracy of data.
C) Participant observation is a valuable methodology for studying groups that have historically been little-understood.
D) Participant observation is a good way of obtaining quantitative data on various criminal phenomena.

Question 28

A criminologist visits the Library of Congress to analyze letters and political correspondence of Martin Luther King, Jr. This research method is which of the following?

A) life history
B) simulation
C) trace analysis
D) simple observation

Question 29

A criminologist decides to study the way in which violent crime is portrayed in newspaper headlines. This type of research is known as ______.

A) media survey
B) content analysis
C) simulation
D) secondary analysis

Question 30

A criminologist decides to compile what is currently known about domestic violence; the criminologist does this by analyzing the data collected in a number of previous studies on the topic. This type of research is known as ______.

A) content analysis
B) media survey
C) participant observation
D) secondary analysis

Question 31

A criminologist secretly studies groups by temporarily deceiving them as to his or her real purpose. Which research method does this describe?

A) participant observation
B) disguised observation
C) ethnography
D) simulation

Question 32

A criminologist decides to study marijuana use among college students. To do this, the criminologist conducts a survey of the students, reviews police records of drug offenses near the campus, and engages in participant observation. Overall, this approach is representative of which of the following?

A) simulation
B) secondary analysis
C) triangulation
D) unobtrusive measures

Question 33

Methodology involves the collection and analysis of accurate data or facts.

Question 34

Theories involve attempts to develop reasonable explanations of reality.

Question 35

A basic tenet of scientific research is that researchers attempt to maintain subjectivity.

Question 36

Researchers should properly acknowledge the work of others.

Question 37

Criminologists do not have to consider social injustices such as discrimination, oppression, or harassment when they conduct their work.

Question 38

Human subjects have the right to confidentiality.

Question 39

Researchers may misuse their positions as fraudulent pretext for gathering information as long as they fully report their findings.

Question 40

Criminology's subject matter is concerned with human behavior but not attitudes.

Question 41

Triangulation describes how a concept is being measured.

Question 42

Ethical conduct in research is an individual responsibility tied into deep moral judgments.

Question 43

For police contact, you could conceptualize it by assessing whether a person reported any crime to the police.

Question 44

Founded crimes are crimes that the police decide never took place.

Question 45

Part I crimes are nonindex offenses and are not used in the calculation of the crime rate.

Question 46

The Uniform Crime Reports Part I crimes are included if the police are made aware of them.

Question 47

Liquor law offenses are classified as Part I index offenses on the UCR.

Question 48

Information on the volume of Parts I and II offenses known to law enforcement, those cleared by arrest exceptional means, and the number of persons arrested is reported to the FBI monthly.

Question 49

Arrests do not equal crimes solved or suspects found guilty.

Question 50

Most crimes committed are index crimes.

Question 51

The crime rate is a calculation that expresses the total number of index crimes per 100,000 population.

Question 52

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is intended to replace the Uniform Crime Report (UCR).

Question 53

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was created as a means to remedy the limitations of the Uniform Crime Report.

Question 54

Qualitative techniques involve more engagement with field and observational strategies and less direct means of obtaining information.

Question 55

Methodological narcissism the belief that one's favorite method of research is best.

Question 56

When conducting an experiment, the control group receives the treatment and the experimental group does not.

Question 57

The three elements of classical experimental design are equivalence, pretests and posttests, and experimental and control groups.

Question 58

Equivalence means the assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups in such a manner that they are assumed to be alike in all major respects.

Question 59

Evidence-based research is an attempt to base knowledge and practice on well-researched evidence.

Question 60

The "what works" in criminology and criminal justice approach used by the Department of Justice is based on the assumption that it makes little sense to continue to invest in programs that do not work.

Question 61

Surveys are used to gather information in a systematic fashion by using questionnaires.

Question 62

Criminal surveys are specifically designed to record an estimate of claimed victimizations by a representative sample of the population.

Question 63

The "dark figure of crime" refers specifically to the body of organized crime syndicates that operate in the United States.

Question 64

Victim surveys are conducted on a representative sample of the general public to measure the rate and circumstances of victimization.

Question 65

Self-report measures attempt to provide an alternative to official statistics in measuring the extent of crime in a society.

Question 66

Participant observation is the best method for obtaining quantitative data regarding crime.

Question 67

Social researchers in many cases have no guaranteed right to confidentiality or privileged information and are vulnerable to subpoena.

Question 68

A case study or life history represents an interest in an in-depth close-up of only one or a few subjects in order to obtain a greater understanding.

Question 69

The problem of inadequate methods in criminology arises not because of the inherent shortcomings of a particular method but because a given method is used alone.

Question 70

Triangulation involves the use of multiple methods to measure a given phenomenon.

Question 71

In the context of research methods, "reliability" refers to the accuracy of measurement.

Question 72

Simulation entails research strategies that attempt to mimic or imitate a more complex social reality.

Question 73

Unobtrusive measures are clandestine, secretive, or nonreactive methods of gathering data.

Question 74

Contrary to methodological narcissism no one method has any inherent superiority over any other.

Question 75

Briefly describe Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority study.

Question 76

What ethical issues are associated with the Zimbardo Prison Study?

Question 77

What does "UCR" stand for?

Question 78

Identify the two categories of Part I Index Crimes.

Question 79

Why is it said that UCR data "represents only a portion of the true crime rate of a community"?

Question 80

Identify one weakness of victimization surveys.