Deck 8: The Delinquent Event: Situational Aspects, Routine Activities, and Rational Choice

Question 1

Objective content of situations refers to characteristics of a given situation that provide motivation and opportunity for crime.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Proposing the concept of drift, Sykes and Matza point out that:

A) criminal behavior is learned in much the same way that conformity is learned.
B) delinquents are not completely separated from the standards and expectations of conventional society.
C) criminality is a product of weak self-concept and poor esteem.
D) law is differentially applied, benefiting those who hold economic and social power and penalizing the powerlessness.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Drift theory incorporates three fundamental elements. Which of the following is NOT one of these elements?

A) Developing a "will" for delinquency
B) Subculture of delinquency and subterranean values
C) Absence of capable guardians
D) Techniques of neutralization

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Matza advances what concept to convey a less deterministic view of delinquent youth and their involvement in delinquent behavior?

A) Hard determinism
B) Drift
C) Situation inducements
D) Criminogenic situations

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the elements in Osgood's revised routine activities theory?

A) Situational motivation
B) Time with peers
C) Unstructured activities
D) Suitable targets

Question 6

According to routine activities theory, three basic elements of the situation are necessary for crime or delinquency to occur. Which of the following is NOT one of these elements?

A) Motivated offenders
B) Absence of capable guardians
C) Suitable targets
D) Unstructured activities

Question 7

Which theory did Cohen and Felson develop to try to address the characteristics of the situation that influence the range of choices available to individuals?

A) Status-frustration theory
B) Social bond theory
C) Routine activities theory
D) Drift theory

Question 8

McCarthy's extension to Katz's explanation of sneaky thrill property crime contends that Katz's emphasis on _____________ is overstated.

A) emotional elements
B) cognitive processes
C) paths of action
D) soft determinism

Question 9

Being thrilled by the delinquent act illustrates which situational dynamic of crime proposed by Katz?

A) Emotional process
B) Path of action
C) Line of interpretation
D) Preparation and motivation

Question 10

Which of the following is one of the techniques of neutralization in drift theory?

A) Denial of injury
B) Denial of the victim
C) Appeal to higher loyalties
D) All of the above.

Question 11

The statement, "Police are corrupt, stupid, and brutal," reflects which technique of neutralization?

A) Denial of responsibility
B) Condemnation of the condemners
C) Appeal to high loyalties
D) Denial of injury

Question 12

According to Laub and Sampson (2003), even though offending decisions are situated, offenders often put themselves in situations that are:

A) conducive to crime.
B) logically irrelevant to crime.
C) materially beneficial.
D) self-benefiting.

Question 13

According to Wilson and Herrnstein, criminal propensity:

A) refers to constitutional characteristics present at birth.
B) is expressed in personality traits.
C) influences perceptions of the costs and rewards of crime.
D) All of the above.

Question 14

Criminologist Raymond Paternoster conducted a study of the role of rational choice in all but which one of the following delinquent behaviors?

A) Assault
B) Marijuana use
C) Petty theft
D) Vandalism

Question 15

Paternoster's rational choice model includes which of the following considerations that enter into offending decisions?

A) Affective ties
B) Opportunities
C) Formal sanctions
D) All of the above.

Question 16

Rational choice theory has been applied most extensively to:

A) juvenile criminality.
B) violent crime.
C) property crime.
D) adult criminality.

Question 17

Matza offers two conditions that activate a will for delinquency: preparation and _____________.

A) isolation.
B) desperation.
C) accusation.
D) motivation.

Question 18

Matza turns to which approach to account for the driving force that leads to delinquent behavior?

A) Positivist criminology
B) Strain theories
C) Classical criminology
D) Control theories

Question 19

The statement, "I did it for the sake of my friends," reflects which technique of neutralization?

A) Appeal to higher loyalties
B) Denial of the victim
C) Denial of injury
D) None of the above.

Question 20

Katz proposes that the situational dynamics of crime involve three stages. Which of the following is NOT one of these three stages?

A) Emotional process
B) Line of interpretation
C) Preparation and motivation
D) Path of action

Question 21

In Seductions of Crime, Jack Katz argues that we cannot explain delinquency without understanding:

A) how the criminal act is experienced and understood by the offender.
B) the objective content of the situation in which it occurs.
C) the role of peers in encouraging delinquency.
D) developmental factors related to the offender's previous history.

Question 22

Sykes and Matza believe that delinquents experience no guilt after committing illegal acts.

Question 23

The suitability of targets depends on factors such as value of the object, physical visibility, and access.

Question 24

Motivated offenders, suitable targets, and absence of capable guardians are elements of routine activities theory.

Question 25

Jack Katz developed routine activities theory.

Question 26

According to Katz, the situational dynamics of crime involve a path of action, a line of interpretation, and an emotional process.

Question 27

Commitment to conformity is due in part to a desire to maintain valued relationships, especially the youth's relationship to parents.

Question 28

Blocked goals and frustration are also identified as the frustration-aggression hypothesis.

Question 29

Subjective content of situations refers to characteristics of the immediate setting that provide opportunity for crime.

Question 30

Denial of the victim is one of the five techniques of neutralization.

Question 31

According to Matza, preparation and desperation activate the will for delinquency.

Question 32

In his book Seductions of Crime: Moral and Sensual Attractions in Doing Evil, Jack Katz focuses on the ____________ content of crime and delinquency, or the meaning that situations have for those involved.

A) implicit
B) explicit
C) objective
D) subjective

Question 33

McCarthy and Hagan's study of homeless youth found that the adverse situations of homelessness have strong direct effects on street crime. Which of the following was NOT one of the adverse situations that they studied?

A) Hunger
B) Lack of shelter
C) Drug addiction
D) Unemployment

Question 34

McCarthy and Hagan's study of street youth found support for the view that _____________ leads to crime, especially street crimes.

A) conflict with parents
B) homelessness
C) drug abuse
D) dropping out of school

Question 35

According to Briar and Piliavin, the development of commitment for juveniles is most heavily influenced by the youth's relationship with:

A) peers.
B) teachers.
C) parents.
D) Both A and C.

Question 36

Briar and Piliavin used the term _____________ to refer to characteristics of the current situation that provide opportunities and pressures to engage in delinquency.

A) Criminogenic situations
B) Situational inducements
C) Developmental situations
D) Criminogenic cues

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT one of the five situational correlates of aggression?

A) Blocked goals
B) Physical or verbal provocation
C) Aggressive models
D) High levels of restraint

Question 38

Which of the following is commonly referred to as the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A) Blocked goals and frustration
B) Physical or verbal provocation
C) Aggressive models
D) Low levels of restraint on aggression

Question 39

Rational choice theory holds that people choose to engage in crime when the potential for personal gain is greater than the expected cost.

Question 40

According to Wikström, crime and deviance is mainly a product of individual perceptions of action alternatives and choices. The primary characteristic that affects how individuals perceive their action alternatives is:

A) the likelihood of consequences.
B) the degree of self-benefit.
C) morality.
D) poor self-image.