Deck 5: Trait Theory

Question 1

Socio-biologists view all EXCEPT which one of the following factors as being mutually interdependent?

A)biology
B)environment
C)learning
D)ecology

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Locations with the highest concentrations of lead also report the highest levels of:

A)mental illness
B)ADHD
C)mercury
D)homicide

Answer 2

D

Question 3

While the debate is ongoing, the link between PMS and crime is considered __________.

A)firmly established.
B)never studied.
C)tenuous at best.
D)legally irrelevant.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which perspective bests supports the fact that human history has been marked by war, violence and aggression?

A)biochemical
B)neurophysiological
C)genetic
D)evolutionary

Question 5

Biological explanations of crime reemerged in the early _______ with the publication of Sociobiology by Edmond O. Wilson.

A)1950s
B)1970s
C)1980s
D)1990s

Question 6

__________ reflects the view that criminality is a product of abnormal biological or psychological traits.

A)Rational choice
B)Trait theory
C)Social structure theory
D)Labeling theory

Question 7

A significant criticism of biosocial theory has been:

A)that it is the product of flawed methodology.
B)that it is based on outdated research.
C)that it is racist.
D)that it fails to explain gender differences in the crime rate.

Question 8

Brain scanning techniques using electronic images suggest which of the following statements is true?

A)All criminals have low levels of testosterone.
B)Both violent criminals and substance abusers have impairment in the pre-frontal lobe.
C)Female inmates show lower levels of synopsis activity than men.
D)Latinos have higher rates of androgens in the cerebral cortex than non-Latinos.

Question 9

Diet, hormones, and contaminants are the causes of behavior in the ________ perspective.

A)biochemical
B)neurophysiological
C)genetic
D)evolutionary

Question 10

__________, the most abundant androgen, has been linked to criminality.

A)Testosterone
B)Estrogen
C)Serotonin
D)Monoamine

Question 11

Genetic theory holds that criminality-producing traits are:

A)inherited.
B)passed from fathers to sons but not fathers to daughters.
C)passed on from mothers to sons but not mothers to daughters.
D)socially triggered.

Question 12

If criminal fathers produce criminal sons who produce criminal grandchildren, then crime can be said to be:

A)intraracial.
B)interracial.
C)interbiological.
D)intergenerational.

Question 13

Brain structure, brain damage, and brain chemicals are the causes of behavior in the __________ perspective.

A)biochemical
B)neurophysiological
C)genetic
D)evolutionary

Question 14

In adoption studies, which of the following strongly predicted a child's criminal behavior?

A)a criminal biological mother
B)a criminal adoptive mother
C)a criminal biological father
D)a criminal adoptive grandfather

Question 15

Evidence exists that indicates abnormally low levels of brain chemical compounds called __________ are associated with violent behavior.

A)electrolytes
B)chemical "straightjackets"
C)chemical restraints
D)neurotransmitters

Question 16

According to ___________, for a variety of genetic and environmental reasons, people's brains function differently in response to environmental stimuli.

A)excitement theory
B)arousal theory
C)danger theory
D)stimuli theory

Question 17

Biosocial research has found that abnormal levels of male sex hormones, known as __________, do in fact produce aggressive behavior.

A)antigens
B)androgens
C)estrogens
D)peptides

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT considered to contribute to a healthy diet and, thus, good mental health and well-adjusted behavior patterns?

A)polyunsaturated fatty acids
B)minerals such as zinc and magnesium
C)vitamins such as B, C and E
D)heavy metals such as lead and mercury

Question 19

________ occurs when people become deviant because they are influenced by others with whom they are in close contact.

A)Cohort effect
B)Contagion effect
C)Constant effect
D)Contamination effect

Question 20

Many ADHD children also suffer from ____and continually engage in aggressive and antisocial behavior early in childhood.

A)conduct disorder.
B)schizophrenia.
C)hypoglycemia.
D)contagion effect.

Question 21

According to the psychoanalytic perspective, the __________ develops as a result of incorporating within the personality the moral standards and values of parents, community, and significant others.

A)id
B)ego
C)superego
D)conscience

Question 22

__________ is the branch of behavior theory most relevant to criminology.

A)Cognitive theory
B)Social learning theory
C)Information-processing theory
D)Nurture theory

Question 23

The early research of Lombroso and his contemporaries is regarded as scientific fact.

Question 24

An overwhelming majority of females who experience anxiety and hostility before and during menstruation engage in violent criminal behavior.

Question 25

Biosocial research has found that abnormal levels of the male sex hormones or androgens produce aggressive behavior.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT one of the three principle sources of behavior modeling?

A)genetic predispositions
B)family interactions
C)environmental experiences
D)mass media

Question 27

Neurophysiology studies twin behavior in order to understand criminality.

Question 28

What do we know about psychopaths and crime?

A)Psychopaths comprise 65% of U.S. prison inmates.
B)Psychopaths tend to continue their criminal careers long after other offenders age out of crime.
C)Psychopaths are no more likely to reoffend within a year of release than other offenders.
D)Psychopaths who reoffend are more likely to reoffend in nonviolent ways.

Question 29

According to arousal theory, sensation seekers look for stimulating activities that may include aggressive, violent behavior patterns.

Question 30

The "Twinkie defense" brought national attention to the view that biochemical conditions can influence antisocial behavior.

Question 31

________ is a psychological perspective that focuses on mental processes - how people perceive and mentally represent the world around them.

A)Neurophysiological theory
B)Cognitive theory
C)Biosocial theory
D)Evolutionary theory

Question 32

What is known about mental disorders and crime?

A)It is possible that the link between mental illness and crime is spurious and caused by some other factor.
B)Mentally ill offenders are more likely to have low recidivism rates than non-mentally ill offenders.
C)Research suggests that people who suffer from mental illness seem to be less anti-social than members of the general population.
D)Males offenders seem to have more serious mental health disorders than do female offenders.

Question 33

__________ was the forerunner of modern learning theorists who believed that people learn from one another through imitation.

A)Albert Bandura
B)Charles Goring
C)Gabriel Tarde
D)Sigmund Freud

Question 34

Social learning theory holds that:

A)people are born with aggressive tendencies.
B)people hold aggressive mental scripts in their subconscious.
C)people learn to be aggressive through their life experiences.
D)people have chemical needs that require violence for stimulation.

Question 35

What research finding counters criminologists who claim that only low-IQ criminals get caught?

A)Adolescents with low IQs are more likely to commit crime.
B)There is little difference in the IQ scores of self-reported and official criminals.
C)Low IQs equally prevail in offenders receiving prison sentences or probation.
D)Violent criminals have high IQs.

Question 36

According to sociobiology, living in a disadvantaged neighborhood will not cause a well-adjusted person to commit crime.

Question 37

Evolutionary theorists believe that human traits that produce violence and aggression have been advanced by the long process of human evolutions.

Question 38

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) developed ________ psychology that has remained a prominent segment of psychological theory ever since.

A)neurological
B)biosocial
C)generational
D)psychodynamic

Question 39

There is a stronger link between criminal behavior and identical twins, than between criminal behavior and fraternal twins.

Question 40

The contagion effect is an aspect of mental disorders and crime.

Question 41

Explain the links between evolution, gender, and crime.

Question 42

Social learning theorists argue that people are not born with the ability to act violently.

Question 43

How do cognitive theorists explain the relationship between information processing and antisocial behavior?

Question 44

According to Freud's version of psychodynamic theory, the human personality has a two-part structure: the id and the ego.

Question 45

Discuss the relationship between hormonal changes and mood and behavior.

Question 46

Discuss attachment theory and how failure to develop proper attachment is associated with crime.

Question 47

Discuss what research indicates about parental deviance, twin behavior, and adoption studies.

Question 48

Identify and discuss the four factors that social learning theorists suggest contribute to violent or aggressive behavior.

Question 49

Why is the association between IQ/intelligence and crime so controversial?

Question 50

Nature theory argues that intelligence is largely determined genetically, that ancestry determines IQ, and that low intelligence, as demonstrated by low IQ, is linked to criminal behavior.

Question 51

Police are more likely to arrest the mentally ill, giving the illusion that they are crime-prone.

Question 52

Discuss the personality characteristics that are associated with crime, including Eysenck's model of categorizing the dimensions of a criminal personality.

Question 53

Psychopaths are the product of a destructive home environment.

Question 54

Discuss the basic assumptions of contemporary trait theorists. Explain why trait theorists have gained recent prominence.

Question 55

Identify and discuss the mental disorders and diseases that are associated with crime. How persuasive is the association between mental disorders and why?

Question 56

Explain how chemical compounds, called neurotransmitters, are associated with aggression and other anti-social behaviors.