Deck 10: Prediction of Criminal Behavior and Classification of Offenders

Question 1

The Level of Service Instruments (e.g., LSI-R, LS/CMI)

A) sample a variety of offender attributes and situations
B) assess risk in both probationers and inmates
C) identify functionally significant needs
D) have historical items
E)all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

According to the text, the following is/are true regarding the prediction of criminal behavior

A) successful predictors can be objective
B) combining predictors improves predictive validity
C) it is important to consider the variety of predictors
D) b and c only
E)all of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

Being able to predict and influence behavior

A)makes a theory empirically defensible
B)ensures practical significance
C)is still beyond our reach
D)a and b only
E)all of the above

Answer 3

a and b only

Question 4

Which of the following is not included as a risk predictor on the Level of Service Instruments (e.g., LSI-R, LS/CMI)?

A) criminal associates
B) employment history
C) criminal attitudes
D)socioeconomic status
E) use of leisure time

Question 5

A "static" component of an offender risk/need assessment scale is

A)criminal history
B) education
C) companions
D) alcohol use
E) attitude

Question 6

Research with the Level of Service (LS) instruments has found that

A) scores predict violent offending as well as nonviolent offending
B) the LS predicts recidivism for both women and men
C) effect size estimates are lower for some minority groups
D) the scale predicts recidivism among probationers and inmates
E)all of the above

Question 7

The Area Under the Curve (AUC) for an offender risk instrument

A)controls for the effects of the selection ratio
B)controls for the effects of base rates
C)controls for experimenter bias
D)a and b only
E)all of the above

Question 8

Which of the following statements is false regarding risk assessment validation research?

A) Many studies report their findings using the Pearson correlation coefficient.
B) You cannot convert the Pearson correlation coefficient to an AUC.
C) The Pearson correlation coefficient cannot be interpreted using an ROC analysis.
D)There is no research indicating the validity of risk assessment instruments with groups other than for male, white offenders.
E) none of the above

Question 9

"Fourth-generation" offender assessments have the following features:

A) closely follow social psychological theory
B) sample the eight best predictors of criminal behavior
C) measure offender strengths
D) highlight an antisocial personality pattern
E)all of the above

Question 10

According to the text, which offender assessment instrument has demonstrated dynamic validity?

A)LSI-R
B) SFS
C) Conceptual Level system
D) LS/CMI
E) OGRS

Question 11

Research with the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) and women offenders has concluded that

A) the LSI-R, having been developed largely on males, overestimates the risk posed by women offenders
B) predictive validity can be significantly improved with the addition of "trailers"
C)the LSI-R is "gender-neutral"
D) a meta-analysis of the LSI-R and women offenders (Smith, Cullen & Latessa, 2009) found the LSI-R to only marginally predict recidivism
E) the LSI-R is "gender-specific"

Question 12

The professional override provision in risk/need assessment has

A) improved predictive accuracy
B)decreased predictive accuracy
C) rarely been used
D) highlighted the positive influence of professional judgment
E) not been studied

Question 13

The practical significance of dynamic predictors is that they

A) are easily measured
B)identify criminogenic need factors
C) are resistant to treatment
D) are poor risk factors
E) focus on the changing economic conditions

Question 14

The following is/are true regarding the prediction of criminal behavior:

A)successful predictors can be objective
B)combining predictors improves predictive validity
C)it is important to consider the variety of predictors
D)both b and c
E)all of the above

Question 15

Comparisons of the Level of Service (LS) with other risk instruments show

A) the LS as far better than any instrument available
B) the LS as better than static risk scales and equal to need scales
C)the LS as good, and sometimes better than any offender risk or need scale presently available
D) the Wisconsin risk scale predicts recidivism better
E) that there have been no studies comparing the LS with other risk scales f. the use of the LS has harmful effects (e.g., longer prison sentences)