Question 1

Self-control is obtained mainly through socialization/child rearing occurring within the family.

Accepted Answer

Self-control is largely developed through processes of socialization and child rearing within the family, where children learn norms, values, and behaviors that enable them to regulate their impulses and actions.

Question 2

According to self-control theory, people with low self-control will definitely commit crime or deviant behaviors at some point in their lives.

Accepted Answer

Self-control theory suggests that individuals with lower levels of self-control are more likely to engage in crime or deviant behaviors, but it does not assert that they will definitely do so. Other factors, such as opportunity and social environment, also play significant roles in determining behavior.

Question 3

Self-control theory assumes that there is an underlying propensity to engage in crime if people have low self-control.

Accepted Answer

Self-control theory, also known as the General Theory of Crime, posits that individuals with lower levels of self-control are more likely to engage in criminal and deviant behaviors, as they are less capable of restraining their impulses.

Question 4

Control theories began with Travis Hirschi's social bond theory.

Accepted Answer

Control theories in criminology date back earlier than Travis Hirschi's work, with earlier formulations by scholars such as Albert J. Reiss and Jackson Toby who discussed the concept of personal and social controls. Hirschi's Social Bond Theory, introduced in 1969, is a significant advancement in control theory but not its beginning.

Question 5

Hirschi found that social bond theory only applies to Whites.

Accepted Answer

Hirschi's Social Bond Theory, also known as Social Control Theory, is a general theory of crime that suggests the strength of individuals' bonds to society influences the likelihood of committing crimes. It does not specify or limit its applicability to any particular racial or ethnic group.

Question 6

Deviant peers increase delinquent behavior when social bonds are weakened.

Accepted Answer

Deviant peers are more likely to influence an individual towards delinquent behavior when the individual's social bonds, such as those with family or non-deviant peers, are weakened, as these weakened bonds make the individual more susceptible to external influences.

Question 7

There is a lot of empirical support for involvement in conventional activities component of social bond theory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of There is a lot of empirical support...

Question 8

Drift can occur when youth are free from social controls.

Accepted Answer

Drift theory, proposed by David Matza, suggests that individuals may drift into delinquency when they are not strongly attached to social norms and controls, allowing them to move in and out of delinquent behavior based on the situation.

Question 9

Persons with low self-control tend to be impulsive, insensitive, physical, and risk-takers.

Accepted Answer

Low self-control is associated with impulsivity, insensitivity towards others, a preference for physical activities over cognitive tasks, and a propensity to take risks.

Question 10

Self-control is developed by learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Self-control is developed by learning....

Question 11

The most important social bond in Hirschi's theory is:

Accepted Answer

Attachment is considered the most important social bond in Hirschi's Social Control Theory because it emphasizes the emotional and psychological connections individuals have with others, which significantly influence their likelihood to conform to societal norms and laws.

Question 12

Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) developed self-control theory. This theory supports the notion that people with:

Accepted Answer

Gottfredson and Hirschi's self-control theory posits that individuals with low self-control are more prone to engage in criminal and other risky behaviors, as they may struggle to resist immediate or easy gratifications despite potential long-term negative consequences.

Question 13

Control theories ask the following question:

Accepted Answer

Control theories in criminology are primarily concerned with why people refrain from committing crimes, focusing on the various social and personal controls that prevent individuals from engaging in criminal behavior.

Question 14

Hirschi's social bond theory has four components. They are:

Accepted Answer

Hirschi's social bond theory posits that people's bonds to society prevent them from engaging in deviant behavior. The four components of this theory are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. These elements describe the ways in which individuals form connections to, and have investments in, the social order, which in turn influences their likelihood to conform to societal norms.

Question 15

Control theories (i.e., social control and self-control) have the following assumption about human nature:

Accepted Answer

Control theories, particularly those related to social control and self-control, generally assume that humans are innately self-interested. This assumption underpins the idea that individuals must be controlled or regulated (either by external forces or through self-discipline) to prevent them from engaging in antisocial or criminal behavior.

Question 16

Jackson Toby (1957) coined the term "stakes in conformity" which are related to attachments to conventional society (e.g., legitimate jobs, prosocial people). This concept pertains to which theory?

Accepted Answer

The concept of "stakes in conformity," as introduced by Jackson Toby in 1957, is associated with Control Theory. This theory suggests that individuals who have more to lose by engaging in deviant behavior (i.e., have higher stakes in conformity) are more likely to adhere to societal norms and laws.

Question 17

In their self-control theory, Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) differentiate between crime and criminality. Criminality is:

Accepted Answer

Criminality, according to Gottfredson and Hirschi's self-control theory, refers to an individual's propensity or inclination to commit crimes, which often involves the use of force or fraud. This is distinct from crime, which is the actual act.

Question 18

Control theory has its roots in which discipline?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Control theory has its roots in which...

Question 19

Matza believes delinquents are mostly law-abiding. When they engage in criminal behaviors, they are engaging in:

Accepted Answer

Matza's theory of delinquency posits that youths drift in and out of delinquency and that during their periods of delinquency, they are not deeply committed to a criminal lifestyle but rather are engaging in "drift," a temporary and situational involvement in criminal behavior.

Question 20

Which of the following social bonds is necessary for internal control to develop?

Accepted Answer

Attachment is necessary for internal control to develop because it creates a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees, which leads to them being more likely to follow internal control procedures.

Quiz 10: Control Theories