According to Robert Merton's goal-means gap theory,the psychoanalytic approach to deviant behavior is wrong because that theory incorrectly assumes that
A)society discourages the individual from engaging in deviant behavior.
B)society encourages the individual to engage in deviant behavior.
C)society has no impact on human biological impulses.
D)individuals freely choose to partake in deviant behavior.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Merton's theory suggests that deviant behavior arises when there is a disjunction between societal goals and the means available to achieve them, not because individuals are biologically predisposed to deviance or because society encourages deviance. This contradicts the psychoanalytic view that deviance is a result of individual pathologies or choices.

According to Robert Merton's Goal-Means Gap Theory,the Psychoanalytic Approach to Deviant