Deck 3: Psychology of Crime

Question 1

Which of the following approaches may be a more productive way of resolving the issues of school violence and weapons?

A)Profiling
B)Metal detectors at schools
C)Increased communication between students and administrators
D)A zero tolerance policy

Answer 1

Increased communication between students and administrators

Question 2

Most modern theories of criminal behavior including those of biology, genetics, psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, and religion are a legacy of the

A)classical tradition.
B)negativist tradition.
C)positivist tradition.
D)All of these are correct.

Answer 2

positivist tradition.

Question 3

The idea that the punishment of criminals should be proportionate to the crime committed strongly influenced the

A)Fifth Amendment.
B)First Amendment.
C)Eight Amendment.
D)Fourteenth Amendment.

Answer 3

Eight Amendment.

Question 4

In a threat assessment, one must consider

A)the nature of the threat.
B)the response(s)that increase the risk of harmful action.
C)the risk of talking to an unknown person.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 5

There have recently been a number of school shootings that have resulted in fatalities. Which of the following characteristics has not been noted as common to these offenders?

A)The offender had a lot of experience with firearms.
B)The offender was tormented by classmates.
C)The offender tortured and sometimes killed small animals.
D)The offender developed a detailed plan for the aggressive event.

Question 6

There is ______________ empirical evidence that sociological or biological theories independently predict criminal behavior.

A)strong
B)little
C)moderate
D)unquestionable

Question 7

Social-psychological theories of crime suggest that crime is

A)learned.
B)the result of genetic factors.
C)due to social and cultural forces.
D)None of these are correct.

Question 8

Jimmy and John, best friends, have stolen some candy bars from a convenience store. Jimmy's brothers all have criminal records, and they encourage Jimmy to commit crimes as well. John, on the other hand, stole the candy to give to his destitute parents so they may eat. The sociological explanation for Jimmy's crime would be that this crime is caused by the _____ subtype, whereas _____ factors caused John's behavior.

A)social; structural
B)structural; subcultural
C)subcultural; social
D)subcultural; structural

Question 9

Cloward and Ohlin, in their book Delinquency and Opportunity , propose a ___________ theory of crime.

A)structural
B)subcultural
C)biological
D)psychoanalytic

Question 10

Instead of identifying (often mistakenly)the potential school shooter, schools that have experienced a shooting can more safely and effectively provide help for students by working to reduce ______ .

A)bullying
B)trauma
C)substance abuse
D)threat

Question 11

How has the rate of crimes committed by females changed in recent years?

A)It has decreased.
B)It has increased.
C)It has stayed at approximately the same level.
D)None of these are correct.

Question 12

Cloward and Ohlin's theory of _____________ assumes that those who grow up in lower socioeconomic subcultures still possess the conventional goals of the middle class. As society denies them legal means of achieving these goals, they become frustrated and resort to committing crimes.

A)subcultural differences
B)differential opportunity
C)psychopathic personality
D)somatotypes

Question 13

Due to a recent increase of school shootings, one high school principal has decided to enlist a profiler to attempt to determine which students are at risk to commit a school shooting. The profiler provides the principal with a list of students said to be at risk. Which of the following is a potential problem with this procedure?

A)Such a profile would target an extremely high percentage of school-aged adolescents who would never be a threat
B)Such a profile may give an exact percentage of students at risk
C)The characteristics on which the profiling is done may or may not be accurate
D)None of these are correct.

Question 14

The positivist school of criminology focused on

A)rehabilitation for criminals.
B)punishing criminals.
C)removing criminals from society's mainstream.
D)understanding crime though the analysis of empirical data.

Question 15

Which of the following was mentioned as an approach professionals have taken in an effort to curb school shootings?

A)Requiring school uniforms
B)Allowing access to violent movies
C)Profiling
D)All of these are correct.

Question 16

Approximately what percentage of violent crime is committed by men?

A)55%
B)65%
C)75%
D)85%

Question 17

In the western United States, a property crime was reported in nearly _______ of households in 2015 was reported in Bureau of Justice Statistics 2016.

A)12%
B)16%
C)15%
D)20%

Question 18

As of 2002, juveniles were involved in approximately 8% of all

A)robberies.
B)sexual assaults.
C)aggravated assaults.
D)homicides.

Question 19

Women are most often arrested for

A)larceny and theft.
B)theft and assault.
C)assault and larceny.
D)Both A and B

Question 20

How has the rate of serious violent crime changed in recent years?

A)The rate of violent crime is relatively high despite a recent decrease, with 16 out of every 1000 males experiencing violent crime in 2015.
B)It was decreasing for several years and then increased substantially between 2008 and 2009.
C)It has stayed at approximately the same level for the last 30 years.
D)It stayed at the same level for 20 years and then rose abruptly in the last 10 years.

Question 21

If the monozygotic concordance rate is significantly higher than the dizygotic rate, one typically concludes that the behavior is

A)environmentally influenced.
B)genetically influenced.
C)influenced by both environment and genetics equally.
D)None of these are correct.

Question 22

Dysfunction in part of the nervous system has also been discussed as a possible correlate with criminal activity. Which of the following represents this finding?

A)Criminals show a lower level of autonomic arousal than noncriminals.
B)Criminals show a higher level of autonomic arousal than noncriminals.
C)Criminals show a lower level of somatic arousal than noncriminals.
D)Criminals show a higher level of somatic arousal than noncriminals.

Question 23

Which of the following physiological factors have been stated as potentially leading to increased aggressiveness and delinquency?

A)High testosterone and insulin with low levels of serotonin
B)Low secretion of insulin and high serotonin
C)Low levels of serotonin, insulin, and testosterone
D)High levels of insulin, serotonin, and testosterone

Question 24

Adoption studies have suggested that

A)males with adoptive parents with criminal histories are more likely to have a criminal record.
B)males with biological parents with criminal histories are more likely to have a criminal record.
C)there is no difference between the criminal records of males with adoptive or biological parents with criminal histories.
D)None of these are correct.

Question 25

Studies of twins that have calculated separate concordance rates for violent and non-violent crimes have found that

A)the influence of heredity appears equal for both types of crime.
B)the influence of heredity appears higher for violent as opposed to nonviolent crimes.
C)the influence of heredity appears higher for non-violent as opposed to violent crimes.
D)None of these are correct (separate concordance rates have not been calculated).

Question 26

One explanation for psychopathy is that psychopaths were raised in a dysfunctional family. Which of the following represents the implicated parental pattern (s)?

A)Parents who are cold and distant
B)Parents who are inconsistent in their use of rewards and punishments
C)Parents who are overly punitive
D)Both A and B

Question 27

Researchers have found that the complete absence of the activity of the enzyme _______________ coupled with a ________________ showed some form of antisocial behavior in 85% of individuals studied in New Zealand.

A)MAO-A; history of maltreatment
B)MAO-A; high serotonin levels
C)ANS; history of maltreatment
D)ANS; high serotonin levels

Question 28

What percentage of psychopaths are men?

A)25%
B)50%
C)80%
D)99%

Question 29

What relationship have researchers found between intelligence quotient (IQ)scores and offending?

A)Offenders and nonoffenders have similar IQ scores.
B)Offenders have IQs that are about 8-10 points lower than nonoffenders.
C)Offenders have IQs that are about 7-9 points higher than nonoffenders.
D)None of these are correct.

Question 30

According to Ted Bundy's statement to a TV interviewer, what caused his acts of violence?

A)A cold and impersonal mother
B)An absent father
C)Pornography
D)A hereditary defect

Question 31

Which of the following has been cited as potentially causing psychopathic behavior?

A)A deficiency in the left hemisphere that impairs executive function
B)Low autonomic arousal
C)Faster brain waves than normal
D)Both A and B

Question 32

Samuel has committed several violent offenses and feels no remorse for what he has done. He finds his victims by deceiving them; he approaches a young woman and says he needs directions across town, and then leads her to his car. He then forces the woman into his car and later kills her. If we were to characterize Samuel's problem by claiming that he has a personality defect, which of the following best describes this condition?

A)Anomie
B)Low level of autonomic arousal
C)Criminal thinking pattern
D)Psychopathy

Question 33

Raine et al. found that homicide offenders, compared to normal controls, experienced

A)EEG abnormalities.
B)excessive subcortical activity.
C)unhappy childhoods.
D)inferior decision-making.

Question 34

Which of the following represents the current status of Ted Bundy's case?

A)He is on death row, awaiting the results of an appeal.
B)He has escaped from prison.
C)All his appeals have been exhausted, and he is awaiting execution.
D)He was executed.

Question 35

Which of the following has been implicated as possibly inherited and in turn possibly responsible for criminal behavior?

A)EEG patterns
B)EKG patterns
C)EMG patterns
D)All of these are correct.

Question 36

Some offenders are thought to differ from noncriminals in that they show chronically low levels of autonomic arousal and weaker physiological reactions to stimulation. What is a ramification of this?

A)They seek activities that provide lower stimulation.
B)They have difficulty figuring out how to inhibit punishable behavior.
C)They are less disposed to having social issues.
D)They secrete less insulin.

Question 37

The theory of differential opportunity does not explain

A)crimes committed by people who have not been denied opportunities.
B)what determines adaptation to blocked opportunities.
C)Neither A nor B
D)Both A and B

Question 38

Emile Durkheim's idea was the need to maintain moral bonds between individuals in the society without which it leads to

A)aspirations.
B)anomie.
C)normalness.
D)opportunity.

Question 39

Johnny is often restless and emotionally volatile. According to Eysenck's personality theory, Johnny is high on which dimension?

A)Neuroticism
B)Extroversion
C)Psychoticism
D)Mesomorphism

Question 40

Which of the following is not a stated limitation of the theory of differential opportunity?

A)Crimes are often committed by those who are part of the lower class.
B)Some of the key terms in the theory, such as "aspiration," are not well defined.
C)There is no evidence that lower class versus upper class youth find limited success in school to be more frustrating.
D)There is no evidence to support the idea that those in the lower class want to be part of the middle class.

Question 41

An ex-criminal, now on parole, returns to his life of crime because society treats him as a criminal. That is, as much as he wants to go straight, he is stigmatized by society as a criminal. This is an example of

A)a personality defect.
B)primary deviance.
C)secondary deviance.
D)social-learning theory.

Question 42

The link between violence in the mass media and violent behavior is addressed by

A)twin studies.
B)social-learning theory.
C)psychoanalytic theories.
D)anomie.

Question 43

Hans Eysenck proposes that in order to keep people from displaying antisocial behavior, they need to develop a strong conscience. According to Eysenck, a conscience develops through

A)operant conditioning.
B)extroversion conditioning.
C)classical conditioning.
D)conscience conditioning.

Question 44

Which of the following is a true statement about the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL)and its revised versions?

A)One of the advantages of the PCL is that with very little training, one can become proficient in its administration.
B)It only takes one rater to score the PCL.
C)The PCL is partly a self-report measure.
D)The PCL is a completely objective measure which makes scoring very easy.

Question 45

Darrin is often spanked for misbehaving. Which theorist would point to this form of disciplining as a model for later aggressive behavior?

A)Reckless
B)Lombroso
C)Freud
D)Bandura

Question 46

Which of the following family interaction patterns is associated with childhood delinquency?

A)Poor communication and high levels of conflict between children and parents.
B)Lack of parental concern and warmth.
C)Parental conflict and highly demanding unresponsive parents.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 47

Wilson and Herrnstein (1985)referred to a "net ratio of gain and losses for criminal and noncriminal behavior." What does this mean?

A)The process for predicting crime is additive.
B)If the ratio for committing a crime exceeds that for not committing it, the likelihood of the crime being committed increases.
C)When one commits a crime, someone inevitably gains and someone inevitably loses.
D)The gains and losses for criminal behavior usually outweigh the gains and losses for noncriminal behavior.

Question 48

According to social-learning theory, when people use tactics of self-exoneration, they are likely to

A)justify aggression by appealing to higher values, free the victim of any blame, and dehumanize society.
B)justify aggression by appealing to higher values, blame the victim for what happened, and dehumanize the victims.
C)justify aggression by appealing for sympathy, free the victim for all blame, and dehumanize themselves.
D)justify aggression by appealing to higher values, blame society for what happened, and dehumanize law enforcement.

Question 49

The assumption that people will behave antisocially until they learn not to offend through a combination of inner and external constraints fits in which theory?

A)Control
B)Differential opportunity
C)Structural
D)Subcultural

Question 50

According to the differential association reinforcement theory, criminal behavior is acquired through

A)operant conditioning.
B)classical conditioning.
C)modeling.
D)Both A and C

Question 51

Bandura's book, Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis , emphasizes modeling of aggression in three contexts. Which one of the following is not one of the areas emphasized?

A)Familial influences
B)Subcultural influences
C)Symbolic models
D)Peer influences

Question 52

Franklin and his mother went for a grocery shopping. When they were checking out, the grocery clerk inadvertently gave Franklin's mom too much change. When they got back to the car, Franklin's mom excitedly talked about how to use the extra money. According to Sutherland's differential association approach, Franklin has potentially now

A)acquired a procriminal definition.
B)learned to be ashamed of his mother.
C)acquired the motivation to give back the money in some other way.
D)determined how much his mother values money.

Question 53

Every time Timmy shares his toys with his little brother his parents give him a cookie. Every time Timmy refuses to shares his toys his parents yell at him. After a while, Timmy always shares his toys with his little brother. This is an example of

A)operant learning.
B)classical conditioning.
C)stimulus learning.
D)containment.

Question 54

Which of the following environmental cues or "instigators" are generally known to increase antisocial behavior?

A)Models
B)Cultural influences
C)Sympathy
D)All of these are correct.

Question 55

Which of the following is a feature of observational learning?

A)Attention to important features of modeled behavior.
B)Learning but not reproducing the features of modeled behavior.
C)Only peer group influences the observed behavior.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 56

Walter Reckless' containment theory proposed that

A)criminal potential is contained in the genes.
B)social pressure and rules help to control the incidence of crime.
C)people of low intelligence cannot control their urges to commit crimes.
D)criminals commit crimes in order to be contained.

Question 57

Which of the following has been found to be associated with a higher likelihood of being an adult offender?

A)Gastro-intestinal disorder
B)Higher than average IQ
C)Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
D)Hyperlexia

Question 58

According to Wilson and Herrnstein (1985), an important personality factor is time discounting. Considering this concept, which type of person is most likely to take part in criminal behavior?

A)A person who watches a lot of media violence
B)An older person
C)A younger person
D)An impulsive person

Question 59

Eight-year-old James watches a lot of television, and his favorite programs are very aggressive. What do researchers generally think will be the effect of this frequent viewing of televised violence?

A)There is no expected impact of viewing televised aggression.
B)James will likely be less aggressive than those who watch fewer violent programs because he is able to get out his aggression through this viewing.
C)James will likely be more aggressive than those who watch fewer violent programs as television violence does tend to increase aggression in children.
D)There is no consensus among researchers regarding the effects of viewing televised aggression.

Question 60

Seven-year-old Diane is a frequent viewer of violent television programs. One day she goes to visit her friend Haley and, while there, asks to watch one of her favorite programs. While Haley runs downstairs to ask her mother if this would be allowed, her slightly older brother turns on his own show. When Haley asks for the remote, he hits her. Haley is obviously hurt and cries for her mother. Based on what you know about research investigating the effects of viewing television violence, predict Diane's reaction.

A)Diane runs to get Haley's mother.
B)Diane tries to soothe Haley herself.
C)Diane ignores Haley.
D)Predictions are not appropriate here as research has not addressed this kind of situation.

Question 61

According to research based on a small sample of cases, which of the following is among the few common characteristics that have been cited to be generally present in the backgrounds of the boys responsible for school killings?

A)They are often experiencing difficulty in coping with significant loss.
B)They tend to lack experience with guns and are often socially isolated.
C)They are smooth talkers, socially amiable, and often popular for their wit.
D)They act out without any premeditation.

Question 62

Most ancient explanations of crime took a ______ tone, a view that was popular throughout the Middle Ages and lives on today in many belief systems.

A)socialist
B)philosophical
C)racial
D)religious

Question 63

What served as the foundation for the modern theories of crime?

A)Social-Psychological theories
B)Positivist theories of criminology
C)Psychological theories
D)Biological theories of crime

Question 64

Early emergence of ____________________ across multiple contexts may predict the development of antisocial personality disorder in adulthood.

A)conduct-disordered behavior
B)schizophrenia
C)substance use
D)Both A and C

Question 65

Over a period of 22 years, Huesmann, Eron, and Yarmel (1987)measured aggression in a sample of males and females. They found that aggression levels began to crystallize around the age of ____________ and remained stable into adulthood.

A)5
B)8
C)12
D)15

Question 66

The more delinquent friends one has, the more likely he or she is to engage in criminal behavior until at least the age of

A)30
B)20
C)25
D)18

Question 67

Cloward and Ohlin proposed that people in lower socioeconomic subcultures usually want to succeed through ______.

A)legal means, but society denies them legitimate opportunities to do so
B)illegal means, but social and legal regulations force them to follow legal means
C)legal means, and society offers them legitimate opportunities to do so
D)illegal means, as long as social approval is met indirectly through silence or inaction

Question 68

Which of the following partly describes the potentially psychopathic fictional character Dexter Morgan?

A)He has the personality disorder of a neuropath.
B)He has a constant need for stimulation.
C)He leads a parasitic lifestyle, though he has a steady job.
D)He is an impulsive offender, rarely careful and calculating.

Question 69

Which of the following bridge the gap between the environmentalism of sociology and the individualism of psychological or biological theories?

A)Psychological theories
B)Positivist theories of criminology
C)Social-Psychological theories of crime
D)Biological theories of crime

Question 70

Which of the following reflects the truth about crime rates in the United States?

A)Rates of serious crime have been steadily declining in the United States. This decrease is confirmed by official police statistics but not by victimization studies.
B)Rates of serious crime have been steadily declining in the United States. This decrease is confirmed by victimization studies but not by official police statistics.
C)Rates of serious crime have been steadily rising in the United States. This increase is confirmed by both victimization studies and official police statistics.
D)Rates of serious crime have been steadily declining in the United States. This decrease is confirmed by both victimization studies and official police statistics.

Question 71

Which of the following can be considered an antecedent condition in an integration theory of crime?

A)Poor social skills
B)Lethargy
C)Negativity
D)All of these are correct.

Question 72

Identify the statement that has been underscored by research on secondary school and campus shootings.

A)In high school contexts, date rape and hazing are often the cause behind aggression.
B)Official records today reflect reality more closely as much of aggression is reported.
C)"Zero tolerance" policies are often effective in identifying individuals liable to be aggressive.
D)Most of those who make implied or direct threats will not go on to commit serious violence.

Question 73

What influenced the three Milwaukee teenage perpetrators who viciously attacked and killed Rex Baum, the 49-year-old homeless man?

A)Violent movies
B)Violent video games
C)Bullying
D)Childhood trauma

Question 74

Émile Durkheim thought that life without moral or social obligations becomes intolerable and results in _____________.

A)acedia
B)misanthropy
C)nihilism
D)anomie

Question 75

In the 17th century, Sir Francis Bacon argued that "opportunity makes a thief." Philosophers and social critics such as Voltaire and Rousseau emphasized concepts such as free will, hedonism, and flaws in the social contract to explain criminal conduct. What did these principles later grow into?

A)Classical school of criminology
B)Positivist school of criminology
C)Sociological theories of crime
D)Biological theories of crime

Question 76

Which of the following theories explains all kinds of criminal behavior?

A)Social learning theory
B)Yochelson & Samenow's criminal thinking pattern theory
C)Psychoanalytic theory
D)None of these; no one theory explains all kinds of criminal behavior.

Question 77

What is the most extreme version of a social-psychological theory of crime called?

A)Social labeling theory
B)Containment theory
C)Stimulation-seeking theory
D)Biological theories of crime

Question 78

At least one study has shown that aggressive boys grow into men who are more likely to

A)abuse a spouse.
B)get depressed.
C)get intoxicated.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 79

Which theory assumes that people will behave antisocially unless they learn not to offend through a combination of inner regulations and external constraints on behavior?

A)Biological theory
B)Learning theory
C)Stimulation-seeking theory
D)Control theory

Question 80

Which of the following describes tools measuring cognitive patterns that are supportive of offending?

A)Data from both male and female offenders, as well as meta-analyses, indicate that the PICTS is correlated with previous offending.
B)Data from both male and female offenders, as well as meta-analyses, indicate that the PICTS is unreliable and is not predictive of future adjustment and release outcome.
C)The Measure of Offending Thinking Styles focuses on offender thinking styles, and, unlike PICTS, follows a pattern of appropriate scientific development and validation comparable.
D)The general approach involving the appraisal of thinking styles and cognitive "errors" among offenders has done little to address rehabilitation needs.