Deck 14: Developmental and Life-Course Theories

Question 1

Cognitive shifts resulting in the development of a prosocial identity are used by Maruna (2001) to explain desistence among offenders.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Life course theory uses age to account for change in offending.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

One key benefit of life course theories is that they take into account change over time; they're dynamic, not static.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Developmental theories are mainly typological.

Question 5

Laub and Sampson's theory of age-graded informal social control can only explain adult offending.

Question 6

Developmental theories assume that criminal behavior is caused by the same factors over the entire lifespan.

Question 7

A criminal career is plagued by frequent and serious crimes.

Question 8

Interactional theory combines control and strain theory to explain delinquency.

Question 9

Context can influence whether someone desists from crime.

Question 10

Institutions such as military service and marriage may act as informal social controls to facilitate desistance.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a key concept in Sampson and Laub's informal social control theory?

A) Transitions
B) Trouble
C) Trajectories
D) Turning points

Question 12

Sampson and Laub (1993) examined informal social control and crime. One of their hypotheses is that:

A) Criminality is set by age 8
B) Crime is a result of low self-control
C) Informal social bonds are stable over time
D) Informal social bonds can change over time

Question 13

Terrie Moffitt's life course persistent offenders often have problems with:

A) Temperament
B) Neuropsychological deficits
C) Lack of good parenting
D) All of the above

Question 14

According to the age-crime curve, crime:

A) Is stable across the life course, never changing
B) Increases as individuals age, then decreases around ages 15-24
C) Increases over time and only ends when criminals die
D) Is unpredictable

Question 15

Terrie Moffitt's developmental theory is an example of a:

A) Taxonomy/typology
B) General theory
C) Paradigm
D) Tautology

Question 16

The life course paradigm can explain which of the following?

A) Onset of offending
B) Continuance of offending
C) Desistance from offending
D) All of the above

Question 17

One policy implication for developmental theories is:

A) Enhancing protective factors such as parental monitoring
B) Increase use of incarceration
C) Incarcerate people until they age out
D) Eugenics

Question 18

According to developmental theories, researchers need to examine individuals:

A) Longitudinally
B) Cross-sectionally
C) Focus groups
D) Surveys

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a key concept in life course theories (according to Elder, 1998)?

A) Agency
B) Timing
C) Self-control
D) Linked lives
E) Context

Question 20

_____________________ is the assumption that some people are more prone to commit crime, while others are less prone.

A) Criminal careers
B) Criminal propensity
C) Life course
D) Self-control

Question 21

How does the life course paradigm explain onset, continuance, and desistance from offending?

Question 22

Name three challenges life course persistent offenders experience that are believed to contribute to their criminal behavior. Why are these challenges precursors to criminality? Can they be addressed/altered to reduce risk?

Question 23

What is the difference between a career criminal and a criminal career? Are they mutually exclusive or is there some overlap?

Question 24

Assess the viability of Thornberry's Interactional Theory. Does it have the attributes of a good theory? Describe an empirical test of this theory.

Question 25

What are the turning points and transitions in Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory of informal social control? How do they differ, and what is their role in criminal offending onset and desistance?

Question 26

What is selective incapacitation and which perspective supports its use? What are the arguments against selective incapacitation?

Question 27

Describe Tremblay's perspective on the development of physical aggression. How does this mirror the age-crime curve argument?

Question 28

Is the developmental perspective an individual theory, or a way to frame our understanding of existing theories?

Question 29

What is the role of agency in desistance from crime? Can agency also explain criminal behavior?

Question 30

How are Sampson and Laub's age-graded informal social control theory and Hirschi's social bond theory similar? How are they different? Which one is a better explanation of criminal behavior? Why?