Question 1

When friends or parents demonstrate their disapproval of crime, what can occur?

Accepted Answer

Definitions unfavorable toward criminality are created when friends or parents demonstrate their disapproval of crime, influencing individuals to adopt attitudes and beliefs that are against engaging in criminal behavior.

Question 2

Behavior is reinforced by being either rewarded or punished while interacting with others; this is called differential reinforcement or:

Accepted Answer

Differential reinforcement is a concept closely related to direct conditioning, where behaviors are modified through reinforcement or punishment.

Question 3

Research on differential association theory finds that having delinquent friends:

Accepted Answer

Differential association theory suggests that individuals learn values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior through their interactions with others. Therefore, having delinquent friends increases the likelihood of delinquency because individuals are more likely to adopt behaviors that are prevalent in their social circles.

Question 4

The view, according to Akers, that both deviant and conventional behaviors are learned is called:

Accepted Answer

Differential reinforcement theory, as proposed by Akers, suggests that both deviant behavior and conventional behavior are learned through the same social processes, including reinforcement principles.

Question 5

A criticism of learning theories is that they fail to adequately explain:

Accepted Answer

Learning theories, while explaining a range of behaviors through mechanisms like reinforcement and observation, often struggle to account for spontaneous acts of violence. These theories typically emphasize the role of learned behaviors through observation or reinforcement, making it challenging to explain why an individual might suddenly engage in violence without a clear history of learning such behavior through these mechanisms.

Question 6

By denying the wrongfulness of an act, criminals are able to neutralize illegal behavior. This is known as:

Accepted Answer

Denial of injury is a technique where offenders justify their actions by claiming that no one was harmed, thus neutralizing the perception of their behavior as illegal.

Question 7

Novice criminals often argue that they are caught in the dilemma of being loyal to their own peer group while at the same time attempting to abide by the rules of the larger society. This is known as:

Accepted Answer

This is known as an appeal to higher loyalties, where individuals justify their criminal actions by claiming they were done out of loyalty to their group or peers, rather than adhering to societal laws.

Question 8

According to Matza, __________ refers to the process of moving from one extreme of behavior to another. This helps to explain why a youth's behavior may be law abiding sometimes and deviant at other times.

Accepted Answer

Drift, according to Matza, explains the movement between deviant and non-deviant behavior, suggesting that youths can move in and out of delinquency.

Question 9

Which view states that becoming a criminal is a learning process in which potential delinquents master skills that enable them to counterbalance conventional values and drift back and forth between illegitimate and conventional behavior?

Accepted Answer

Neutralization theory suggests that delinquents learn techniques that allow them to neutralize conventional values and morals temporarily, enabling them to drift between criminal and lawful behaviors without a significant shift in their self-concept. This theory posits that criminals learn justifications or rationalizations that momentarily suspend their commitment to societal norms, allowing them to engage in crime.

Question 10

According to differential reinforcement theory, what determines whether deviant or criminal behavior persists?

Accepted Answer

Differential reinforcement theory posits that the persistence of deviant or criminal behavior is determined by the extent to which such behavior has been rewarded or punished. If behavior is rewarded, it is likely to continue; if it is punished, it is less likely to persist.

Question 11

Control theories argue that noncriminal individuals have developed a _______ that requires them to obey the laws of society.

Accepted Answer

Control theories suggest that noncriminal individuals have developed a commitment to conformity, which involves a personal investment in following societal rules and norms.

Question 12

Numerous research efforts have supported the core principles of differential association. The research generally show a correlation between having deviant parents and friends, holding deviant attitudes, and:

Accepted Answer

Differential association theory suggests that individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them, such as parents and friends. This learning includes techniques of committing deviant acts, as well as specific motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes.

Question 13

Criminals sometimes neutralize wrongdoing by maintaining that the victim of crime "had it coming." This is known as:

Accepted Answer

This is known as "denial of victim," where the offender justifies their actions by suggesting that the victim deserved whatever happened.

Question 14

The importance and prestige attributed to individuals or groups from whom definitions are learned is the _____ element of an association.

Accepted Answer

The intensity element of an association refers to the importance and prestige attributed to individuals or groups from whom definitions are learned. This element emphasizes the emotional or symbolic strength of the relationship.

Question 15

The age of children when they first encounter definitions of criminality impacts the _____ of an association.

Accepted Answer

Priority refers to the timing of an association, indicating that earlier encounters with definitions of criminality have a more significant impact.

Question 16

When behavior is punished, this is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus in response to a desired behavior, which is different from punishment. However, the correct term for when behavior is punished is not listed among the options provided, as punishment typically involves either the presentation of an unpleasant stimulus (positive punishment) or the removal of a pleasant stimulus (negative punishment) to decrease a behavior. The options given do not accurately describe punishment. Therefore, there seems to be a misunderstanding in the question's formulation, as none of the options correctly describe the process of punishing behavior.

Question 17

According to differential association theory, everyone has both favorable and unfavorable ______ regarding crime.

Accepted Answer

Differential association theory posits that people learn the definitions of various behaviors, including criminal behavior, through interaction with others. These definitions can be favorable or unfavorable towards crime.

Question 18

Whose name do we associate with the prominent social learning theory of differential association?

Accepted Answer

Sutherland is associated with the theory of differential association, which suggests that criminal behavior is learned through interaction with others.

Question 19

Which technique of neutralization refers to youths denying that they are to blame for their delinquent acts?

Accepted Answer

Denying responsibility refers to when individuals claim that their actions were due to circumstances beyond their control, thus they are not to blame for their delinquent acts.

Question 20

Sykes and Matza base their neutralization theory on a variety of observations about criminals, among them the observation that:

Accepted Answer

Sykes and Matza's neutralization theory suggests that criminals often rationalize their illegal acts by using techniques of neutralization, which can include expressing guilt over their actions. This indicates that they sometimes recognize the wrongfulness of their behavior, contradicting the notion that they are entirely indifferent to the morality of their actions.

Quiz 7: Social Process Theories: Socialization and Society