Deck 3: Individual Causes of Delinquency

Question 1

Cesare Beccaria wrote ________.

A) An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
B) On the Spirit of the Laws
C) Utilitarianism
D) On Crimes and Punishments

Answer 1

On Crimes and Punishments

Question 2

What is the term for an unstated or explicit agreement between a people and their government as to the rights and obligation of each?

A) positivism
B) atavism
C) utilitarianism
D) the social contract

Answer 2

the social contract

Question 3

Jeremy Bentham purported that criminal behavior is a result of ________.

A) psychological inferiority
B) rational choice
C) biological causes
D) utilitarianism

Answer 3

rational choice

Question 4

According to ________, the aim of punishment is the protection of society with a dominant theme of deterrence.

A) positivism
B) atavism
C) the social contract
D) utilitarianism

Question 5

Which of the following theories supports the notion that crime rate trends and cycles are related to the nature of everyday patterns of social interactions that characterize the society in which they occur?

A) social behavior theory
B) routine activities approach
C) positivism
D) trait theory

Question 6

The presence of motivated offenders, an absence of guardians, and the availability of suitable targets is the mainstay of which approach?

A) routine activities
B) determinism
C) sensation-seeking
D) Freudian

Question 7

Which of the following offenders does rational choice theory tend to ignore?

A) obsessive-compulsives
B) repeat offenders
C) adults
D) thieves

Question 8

Which of the following origins of delinquency became more widely accepted with positivists?

A) psychological
B) structural
C) biological
D) environmental

Question 9

According to positivism, delinquents are affected by ________ or ________ factors that impair or alter their decision-making abilities and can be identified through the use of social scientific techniques.

A) biological; psychological
B) psychological; environmental
C) environmental; biological
D) biological; social

Question 10

During the ________ Era, positivism became more widely accepted.

A) Reform
B) Progressive
C) Colonial
D) Industrial

Question 11

According to twin and adoption studies, which of the following should have higher concordance rates?

A) identical twins
B) fraternal twins
C) dizygotic twins
D) adopted twins

Question 12

In which learning disorder does a child experience speech difficulties, often resulting from both auditory and visual deficiencies?

A) aphasia
B) hyper kinesis
C) dyslexia
D) psychopathy

Question 13

A child that is easily distracted, does not want to listen, and is impulsive probably suffers from ________.

A) life-course-persistent criminality
B) post-traumatic stress disorder
C) attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
D) multiple personality disorder

Question 14

Which of the following did Freud believe was the primitive drive leading to delinquency?

A) psychosexual desire
B) ego
C) id
D) superego

Question 15

A chemical imbalance in the body, resulting from poor nutrition, allergies, or exposure to lead and certain other substances, which is said to lead to delinquency is called a(n) ________.

A) orthomolecular imbalance
B) biosocial criminality
C) learning disability
D) autonomic nervous system

Question 16

James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein's reinforcement theory suggests that offenders find the rewards of crime to be ________.

A) immediate and pleasurable
B) risky and indeterminate
C) slow and petty
D) harsh and painful

Question 17

Which of the following individuals would represent the traits of impulsivity, lack of remorse and shame, and manipulativeness?

A) a sociopath
B) a manic-depressant
C) a delusional delinquent
D) a schizophrenic

Question 18

Researchers suggest that the delinquency rate is high in sensation-seekers, persons who:

A) are negatively affected by climate and temperature
B) are willing to take physical and social risks
C) seek positive praise for thrills
D) seek affection and touch

Question 19

Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck studied juveniles':

A) intelligence quotients
B) family lineages
C) autonomic nervous systems
D) personality traits

Question 20

According to the cognitive theory, under which developmental period would children between ages 7 and 11 fall?

A) the preoperational period
B) the sensorimotor period
C) the formal operational period
D) the concrete operational period

Question 21

Which of the following theorists believe that crime is the result of unconscious motivations?

A) Terrie Moffitt
B) William Sheldon
C) Cesare Lombroso
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 22

The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development led by David Farrington found that all of the following were important risk factors of later offending EXCEPT ________.

A) race
B) low intelligence
C) family criminality
D) antisocial behavior during childhood

Question 23

Which developmental study found that hyperactivity and anxiety significantly predicted the age of onset of smoking cigarettes, drinking to excess, and using drugs up to fifteen years of age?

A) Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study
B) Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
C) Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study
D) Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study

Question 24

Terrie Moffitt's developmental theory refers to a child developing a trajectory of delinquency at age three or younger as ________.

A) attention-deficited
B) developmentally-limited
C) adolescence-limited
D) life-course-persistent

Question 25

Which of the following accounts of desistance states that offenders desist as a result of individual actions (choice) in conjunction with situational contexts and structural influences linked to key institutions that help sustain desistance?

A) maturation and aging
B) developmental
C) rational choice
D) life-course perspective

Question 26

Which of the following statements supports the developmental theory of desistance?

A) Minor gains from crime lose their power to reinforce deviant behavior as juveniles develop.
B) Identity changes account for reduction or cessation of crime.
C) Desistance is a process that operates simultaneously at different levels.
D) The decision to give up crime is based on a person's conscious reappraisal of the costs and benefits of a criminal activity.

Question 27

Baron de Montesquieu is credited with beginning the classical school debate on crime.

Question 28

According to the classical school, offenders deserve treatment and not punishment.

Question 29

The concept of rationality assumes that individuals have free will and are not controlled by emotions.

Question 30

Youths experiencing intense emotions or reaction to a situation may lead to bypassing any rational process, according to critics of rational choice theory.

Question 31

Determinism is a critical assumption of positivism.

Question 32

Positivists view delinquency as a logical choice from among an available set of alternative behaviors.

Question 33

Henry Goddard's study of training school boys suggested delinquents are mentally defective.

Question 34

William Sheldon postulated that crime was related to body type.

Question 35

Most twin and adoption studies suggest that delinquency is related to environment.

Question 36

ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of children, with the condition affecting 5-10 percent of the children in the United States.

Question 37

Freud argued that the essential ingredients of a child's adult personality are not formed until age 16.

Question 38

Jack Katz contends that delinquents find crimes sensually compelling and research should focus on situational rather than background factors.

Question 39

The Gluecks found that delinquents were NOT any more defiant or hostile than non-delinquents.

Question 40

The terms psychopath and sociopath refer to the same personality disorder.

Question 41

David Farrington's studies suggest that there is a meaningful correlation between body type and delinquency.

Question 42

Neuropsychological refers to the relationship between the nervous system, especially the brain, and mental skills such as perception, memory, and language.

Question 43

Delinquency theory is not helpful in understanding why youngsters do what they do.

Question 44

Theory and research influence social policy and the relevance of understanding theory.

Question 45

One of the problems of establishing desistance is the difficulty of distinguishing between a gap in a delinquent career and true termination.

Question 46

The main idea of the rational choice framework is that the decision to give up or continue with crime is based on a person's conscious reappraisal of the costs and benefits of criminal activity.

Question 47

________ based the legitimacy of criminal sanctions on the social contract.

Question 48

In economic models of criminal decision making, crime is assumed to involve ________ calculation and is viewed essentially as an economic transaction or a question of occupational choice.

Question 49

________ is a philosophical position that suggests that individuals are driven into delinquent or criminal behavior by biological or psychological traits that are beyond their control.

Question 50

According to Lombroso, the born criminal is ________; that is, he is someone who reverts to an earlier evolutionary form or level.

Question 51

________ is the biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological and environmental factors within an individual.

Question 52

The belief that juveniles' biological characteristics and limitations drive them to delinquent behavior is sometimes called biological ________.

Question 53

According to Eysenck, some children are more difficult to condition ________ than others because of the inherited sensitivity of their autonomic nervous system.

Question 54

Children with a(n) ________ amount of activity are often diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Question 55

An aspect of temperament that can range from a near absence of emotional response to intense, out-of-control emotional reactions is called ________.

Question 56

Chemical imbalances in the body, resulting from poor nutrition, allergies, and exposure to lead and certain other substances, which are said to lead to delinquency, are referred to as ________ imbalances.

Question 57

A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences is called ________ theory.

Question 58

Adolescent-limited delinquents desist from delinquent behavior around age ________.

Question 59

The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study stated that the persistent path is extremely rare with ________.

Question 60

Theory and research are ________ and that they need to be the foundation for policy recommendations to deal with juvenile delinquency in the United States.

Question 61

The maturation process appears to be involved in ________, as youths or adults become aware either of the desirability of pursuing a conventional lifestyle or of the undesirability of continuing with unlawful activities.

Question 62

Match each term or concept to its definition.

-General deterrence

A) A perspective that holds that freedom of choice varies from one person or situation to another.
B) A doctrine that holds that the useful is the good and that the aim of social or political action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.
C) A method for determining the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act; also the assumption that human beings strive to obtain a favorable balance of pleasure and pain.
D) The idea that punishing one person for his or her criminal or delinquent acts will discourage others from committing similar acts.
E) A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

Question 63

Match each term or concept to its definition.

-Soft determinism

A) A perspective that holds that freedom of choice varies from one person or situation to another.
B) A doctrine that holds that the useful is the good and that the aim of social or political action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.
C) A method for determining the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act; also the assumption that human beings strive to obtain a favorable balance of pleasure and pain.
D) The idea that punishing one person for his or her criminal or delinquent acts will discourage others from committing similar acts.
E) A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

Question 64

Match each term or concept to its definition.

-Utilitarianism

A) A perspective that holds that freedom of choice varies from one person or situation to another.
B) A doctrine that holds that the useful is the good and that the aim of social or political action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.
C) A method for determining the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act; also the assumption that human beings strive to obtain a favorable balance of pleasure and pain.
D) The idea that punishing one person for his or her criminal or delinquent acts will discourage others from committing similar acts.
E) A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

Question 65

Match each term or concept to its definition.

-Felicific calculus

A) A perspective that holds that freedom of choice varies from one person or situation to another.
B) A doctrine that holds that the useful is the good and that the aim of social or political action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.
C) A method for determining the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act; also the assumption that human beings strive to obtain a favorable balance of pleasure and pain.
D) The idea that punishing one person for his or her criminal or delinquent acts will discourage others from committing similar acts.
E) A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

Question 66

Match each term or concept to its definition.

-Specific deterrence

A) A perspective that holds that freedom of choice varies from one person or situation to another.
B) A doctrine that holds that the useful is the good and that the aim of social or political action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.
C) A method for determining the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act; also the assumption that human beings strive to obtain a favorable balance of pleasure and pain.
D) The idea that punishing one person for his or her criminal or delinquent acts will discourage others from committing similar acts.
E) A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

Question 67

Match each theory to its description.

-Cognitive theory

A) An expression of biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological factors within an individual and the influence of the person's particular environment.
B) A theory that attributes delinquent behavior to an individual's basic inborn characteristics.
C) A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences, especially rewards and punishments that follow from it.
D) A perspective on human development that says children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the physical and social worlds.
E) A theory based on Sigmund Freud's insights, which have helped to shape the handling of juvenile delinquents.

Question 68

Match each theory to its description.

-Reinforcement theory

A) An expression of biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological factors within an individual and the influence of the person's particular environment.
B) A theory that attributes delinquent behavior to an individual's basic inborn characteristics.
C) A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences, especially rewards and punishments that follow from it.
D) A perspective on human development that says children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the physical and social worlds.
E) A theory based on Sigmund Freud's insights, which have helped to shape the handling of juvenile delinquents.

Question 69

Match each theory to its description.

-Psychoanalytic theory

A) An expression of biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological factors within an individual and the influence of the person's particular environment.
B) A theory that attributes delinquent behavior to an individual's basic inborn characteristics.
C) A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences, especially rewards and punishments that follow from it.
D) A perspective on human development that says children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the physical and social worlds.
E) A theory based on Sigmund Freud's insights, which have helped to shape the handling of juvenile delinquents.

Question 70

Match each theory to its description.

-Sociology

A) An expression of biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological factors within an individual and the influence of the person's particular environment.
B) A theory that attributes delinquent behavior to an individual's basic inborn characteristics.
C) A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences, especially rewards and punishments that follow from it.
D) A perspective on human development that says children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the physical and social worlds.
E) A theory based on Sigmund Freud's insights, which have helped to shape the handling of juvenile delinquents.

Question 71

Match each theory to its description.

-Trait-based personality model

A) An expression of biological positivism that stresses the interaction between biological factors within an individual and the influence of the person's particular environment.
B) A theory that attributes delinquent behavior to an individual's basic inborn characteristics.
C) A perspective that holds that behavior is governed by its consequences, especially rewards and punishments that follow from it.
D) A perspective on human development that says children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the physical and social worlds.
E) A theory based on Sigmund Freud's insights, which have helped to shape the handling of juvenile delinquents.

Question 72

Define rational choice theory and discuss the impact that Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham had on the development of rational choice theory.

Question 73

What are the basic theoretical constructs of the classical school of criminology?

Question 74

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of rational choice theory. Cite some of the studies listed in the text.

Question 75

In regard to the study of juvenile delinquency, please identify two significant contributions that Lombroso's theory made.

Question 76

List some of the characteristics of a person suffering from ADHD.

Question 77

Describe the process in which Freud theorized how a person could become delinquent. Be sure to identify all the concepts and elements. Also, list the work of other psychologists who have taken the insights of psychoanalysis.

Question 78

List some of the findings of the Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study.

Question 79

List some of the proposed explanations that explain changes in offending over time.

Question 80

The social contract is an unstated or explicit agreement between people and their government as to the rights and obligations of each. What are some examples of this?