Deck 9: Integrated Theories: Things Change

Question 1

Which of the following concepts are latent trait theories based on?

A)choice theories and conflict theories
B)trait theories and choice theories
C)trait theories and biosocial theories
D)social reaction theories and choice theories

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What would a control balance theorist say is important to know about crime prevention?

A)Harsher criminal penalties lead to reduced crime rates.
B)Police and offenders are on opposite sides of attempts to maintain a crime balance within each community.
C)Opportunity, when combined with a perceived excess or lack of control, leads to crime.
D)Criminals do not spend all of their time engaged in criminal activities but also have noncriminal interests.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to Charles Tittle, crime may be a function of efforts to maintain control and avoid which of the following?

A)the police
B)breaking the law
C)getting caught
D)restraint

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What would Terence Thornberry's interactional theory suggest is the most important consideration when looking for causes of crime?

A)Religious affiliation appears to have the biggest impact on likelihood of criminal behaviour.
B)A youth's tendency to become involved in criminal activity is determined by control within the home.
C)Criminal pathways are determined by two-way relationships between a youth and social influences such as peers and family.
D)Criminal trajectories are determined and set for life as soon as we are born.

Question 5

How do integrated theories differ from other theories of crime?

A)They combine a variety of theories to look at role of biopsychosocial processes on the development of the amateur offender.
B)They focus primarily on the relationship between gender and delinquency.
C)They do not focus on one concept or explanation for crime but try to explain why everyone with criminogenic risk factors does not end up committing crimes.
D)They focus on the social structures in children's lives which encourage criminal behaviour in adulthood.

Question 6

What is unique about developmental theories of crime?

A)They suggest that violence is largely affected by the IQ of the offender.
B)They propose the notion that gang activity can be curbed by monitoring the behaviour of preteens more closely.
C)They open up the possibility that the likelihood of engaging in crime varies according to where an individual is in their lifespan.
D)They suggest that criminal behaviour is perfected over the life course, leading to the most serious offences being committed by middle-aged offenders.

Question 7

According to the general theory of crime, why is it likely that young Billy will engage in deviant acts?

A)He has an underlying major mental illness which remains undiagnosed and untreated.
B)The government structure is overly controlling and holds up goals that are unattainable given his social class.
C)His neighbourhood is filled with criminal opportunities and influences.
D)His parents did not provide adequate supervision and he failed to develop adequate self-control.

Question 8

Sally is a young person who does not hand in school work, is regularly late for curfew, and challenges her parents and teachers on any rules or consequences they present. Which of the following developmental pathways to crime is she most likely following?

A)authority conflict pathway
B)covert pathway
C)behaviour syndrome pathway
D)overt pathway

Question 9

How does the general theory of crime explain the actions of the well-paid corporate offender who commits fraud in the workplace?

A)The individual has likely been recently disciplined by a supervisor and now sees this as a fitting means of retaliation.
B)The individual must have experienced a disconnection from colleagues and sees no other means of competing for status.
C)The individual must have been exposed to criminal influences during childhood in order to even consider committing the crime.
D)The individual has a willingness to take a risk and is presented with what appears to be tremendous reward for committing the offence.

Question 10

Your professor considers himself to be a latent trait theorist. What is he likely to say that he believes is the reason some people commit crime?

A)Criminals carry a combination of traits which make them capable of committing crime, including low intelligence, low morality, and high testosterone levels.
B)We are not all born equally capable of committing crime because of varying levels of intelligence.
C)Some individuals are born with a predisposition to committing crime but opportunity affects when and if they do so over time.
D)Everyone is born with the desire and ability to commit crime but not everyone has the moral structure to do so.

Question 11

What is the most important personal social factor related to persistent offending, according to developmental theorists Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck?

A)gender
B)race
C)family relations
D)social class

Question 12

Which of the following theories links developmental stages with changes in criminal activity?

A)cultural value theory
B)social learning theory
C)developmental trajectory theory
D)life-course theory

Question 13

What is identified as a major shortcoming of the general theory of crime?

A)It relies heavily on differences between geographic regions to explain crime rates.
B)It assumes the likelihood that one will commit crime remains stable through life.
C)It explains crime as though it is committed primarily by male adults.
D)It fails to explain the causes of white-collar crime.

Question 14

Julie was labelled an "adolescent-limited offender." What type of criminal behaviour does she exhibit?

A)a peak in adulthood after a crime-free youth
B)an early and intense onset with continued offending into adulthood
C)a late onset with continued offending as an adult
D)a peak in adolescence followed by desistence

Question 15

If a young person were assessed for likelihood of committing crime using the social development model of criminal behaviour patterns developed by Joseph Weis, Richard Catalano, and J. David Hawkins, what would they say is most important to consider?

A)A criminal career is set at birth and social influences will have little bearing across the lifespan.
B)Social isolation is the most important factor leading a young person to a criminal pathway.
C)Prosocial influences are critical throughout the lifespan in order to avoid deviant patterns.
D)Biological factors carry more weight along the developmental pathway than social influences.

Question 16

Which of the following theoretical perspectives suggests that criminality may be just one of a cluster of social and psychological problems?

A)personal, environmental, social disorder syndrome
B)social disadvantage syndrome
C)antisocial developmental disorder
D)problem behaviour syndrome

Question 17

According to developmental theorists, which of the following is the best predictor of future criminal behaviour?

A)deviant peers and family members
B)prosocial beliefs and morals
C)mental health issues
D)previous criminal behaviour

Question 18

According to developmental theorists Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck, who would be most likely to engage in criminal behaviour?

A)Will, who does not engage in extracurricular activities and who is a low B-average student.
B)Tom, who is the captain of the soccer team who also does well in school and has many friends.
C)Billy, who is strong and good at sports but who lacks intelligence and has difficulty getting along with peers.
D)Tim, who is small for his age and prefers computer activities and problem-solving games over sports.

Question 19

According to the general theory of crime, which of the following personality characteristics is the key crime-producing trait?

A)aggression
B)assertiveness
C)impulsivity
D)ignorance

Question 20

In what component of Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi's work are the criminal offender and the criminal act considered separate concepts?

A)general theory of crime
B)control balance theory
C)social development model
D)interactional theory

Question 21

The authority conflict pathway begins at an early age with stubborn behaviour, while the overt pathway begins with minor, underhanded behaviour that leads to property damage.

Question 22

The research of John Laub and Robert Sampson, referred to as age-graded theory, looks at when and why a criminal career may end. Which of the following turning points appear to be most important in enabling offenders to desist from crime?

A)children and job loss
B)the breakdown of supportive criminal peer groups
C)a lengthy custody sentence
D)career and marriage

Question 23

According to Charles Tittle, crime may be a function of low self-control.

Question 24

In their general theory of crime, Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi consider the criminal offender and the criminal act as separate concepts.

Question 25

Encouraging young people to build social capital provides them with an excellent opportunity to abstain from crime.

Question 26

The concept of latent traits is used to explain the flow of crime over the life cycle.

Question 27

"Knifing off" is a term applied to criminals who imply that they are concealing a dangerous weapon during the commission of an offence.

Question 28

What is meant by the term "knifing off"?

A)gang initiation
B)the danger of being assaulted with a weapon in prison
C)quitting a gang after years of membership
D)the cutting of criminal ties

Question 29

According to John Laub and Robert Sampson's research with adolescents, once a young person becomes involved in crime, this will continue through to middle age.

Question 30

Recent attempts at creating integrated theories can be divided into two distinct groups: latent trait and dominant trait theories.

Question 31

Which of the following approaches do integrated theorists suggest would be most effective in reducing crime rates?

A)greater use of custody for youth crimes
B)preventative strategies across the lifespan
C)intervention within the first 3 years of life
D)better programming in prisons

Question 32

Developmental theories are inherently multidimensional, suggesting that criminality has multiple roots.

Question 33

As well as strong social bonds, what does Robert Sampson and John Laub's research into criminal career desistence indicate must be developed to reduce the likelihood of long-term deviance?

A)relationships
B)social capital
C)marketable skills
D)strong family ties

Question 34

Developmental theorists suggest that criminal behaviour is dependent on disruptions along the life course.

Question 35

The concept of problem behaviour syndrome suggests that criminality may be just one of a cluster of environmental, structural, and subcultural problems.

Question 36

Integrated theorists focus their attention on the occasional offender.

Question 37

According to Robert Sampson and John Laub's research, marriage improves the chances that young adults will refrain from recurrent criminal behaviour.

Question 38

The social developmental model integrates social control, social learning, and structural models.

Question 39

Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi claim that the principles of control balance theory can explain all varieties of criminal behaviour.

Question 40

Which results have been found in follow-up interviews with known delinquents as they age into their 60s and 70s?

A)Once a petty criminal, always a petty criminal.
B)Even the most serious criminals age out of crime.
C)Only low-risk offenders age out of crime.
D)Ongoing negative peer influences are the critical factor in determining when and if criminal behaviour will stop.

Question 41

Discuss control balance theory. Explain how it is similar to, and yet different from, Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi's view.

Question 42

What implications might problem behaviour syndrome have for social programs to be developed within schools and communities?

Question 43

Present an overview of the assumptions of developmental theories in general.

Question 44

Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi claim that the principles of self-control can explain all varieties of criminal behaviour and all the social and behavioural correlates of crime. Discuss why they claim this to be true.

Question 45

Research by John Laub and Robert Sampson examined criminal pathways. Summarize their findings and apply them to a proposal for program funding.

Question 46

Discuss and critique Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi's general theory of crime.

Question 47

Present an overview of the integrated theories of crime.

Question 48

List the four distinct interactions and processes identified by Joseph Weis, Richard Catalano, and their associates and then explain how these factors influence criminal behaviour over the life course.

Question 49

Discuss John Laub and Robert Sampson's research that explains that young adults can improve their chances to resist a life of criminal or deviant behaviour. Describe these turning points and what is meant by social capital.

Question 50

Although the general theory of crime seems persuasive, several questions and criticisms remain unanswered. Discuss what your text has to say about these issues.