Deck 1: What is Criminology?

Question 1

The psychological perspective sees crime primarily as

A) a violation of a law.
B) an offense against human relationships.
C) an antisocial act
D) problem behavior.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

You are running late to class and there is an exam today. To get to class on time, you drive about 10 miles about the speed limit. This is an example of behavior that is

A) deviant but not criminal.
B) criminal but not deviant.
C) both deviant and criminal.
D) neither deviant nor criminal.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Criminal justice focuses on

A) the control of lawbreaking.
B) the causes of crime.
C) the consequences of crime.
D) the victim.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Human conduct that is in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction that has the power to make such laws" is a definition of

A) criminology
B) crime
C) criminal
D) deviance

Question 5

A(n) ________ of crime attempts to explain all or most forms of criminal conduct through a single, overarching approach.

A) complete
B) unicausal
C) integrated
D) general

Question 6

The social _______ perspective holds that crime manifests from underlying social issues such as poverty, discrimination, and pervasive family violence.

A) scientific
B) responsibility
C) deviance
D) problems

Question 7

_________ is the field of study that is concerned primarily with the causes and consequences of crime

A) Criminal justice
B) Criminology
C) Criminality
D) Criminalistics

Question 8

Which of the following crime reduction or prevention strategies is most characteristic of the social problems perspective?

A) A government-funded initiative to enhance educational opportunities among low-income individuals
B) A move to broaden police powers by increasing the number of exceptions to the Exclusionary Rule
C) Rewriting state statutes to increase the severity of punishment for violent offenders, such as three-strikes laws
D) Allocating federal funds to help states build and operate more prisons

Question 9

Which one of the following is not one of the definitional perspectives found in contemporary criminology?

A) political
B) sociological
C) environmental
D) legalistic

Question 10

Which of the following statements about deviance and crime is true?

A) All deviant behavior is criminal
B) All criminal behavior is deviant
C) Deviant behavior and criminal behavior overlap
D) Deviant behavior and criminal behavior are mutually exclusive categories

Question 11

Which of the following behaviors are criminal only when committed by a child or youth?

A) Shoplifting a candy bar
B) Drinking alcohol
C) Speeding
D) Joyriding

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the social problems perspective is not true?

A) It suggests that crime is a symptom of underlying social problems such as poverty and discrimination
B) It emphasizes the development of social and educational opportunities as a way of dealing with the crime problem
C) It emphasizes crime prevention efforts such as harsher sentences and the development of rehabilitation programs
D) It sees crime as a public health problem as well as a criminal justice problem.

Question 13

The belief that crime is an antisocial act of such a nature that repression is necessary to preserve the existing system of society is the basis of the __________ perspective on crime

A) legal
B) political
C) sociological
D) psychological

Question 14

A _______________ studies crime, criminals, and criminal behavior.

A) scientist
B) criminal justice professional
C) criminologist
D) criminalist

Question 15

The General Theory of Crime suggests that all types of criminal and deviant behavior can be explained by a lack of self-control. This is an example of a(n) ______________ theory.

A) integrated
B) unicausal
C) bicameral
D) complete

Question 16

The pluralistic perspective suggests that behaviors are typically criminalized through

A) a political process
B) the general agreement of most members of society.
C) the existence of shared norms and values.
D) consensus.

Question 17

Which of the following would probably not fall within the field of criminalistics?

A) Forensics examiner
B) Polygraph operator
C) Fingerprint examiner
D) Correctional officer

Question 18

___________ criminology involves taking the results of criminological research and converting it into workable social policy and practice.

A) Experimental
B) Translational
C) Theoretical
D) Policy-based

Question 19

The gun control debate is an example of the ______ perspective.

A) consensus
B) sociological
C) conflict
D) pluralistic

Question 20

The _______ perspective says that laws should be enacted to criminalize certain behaviors when members of society generally agree that such laws are necessary?

A) consensus
B) sociological
C) pluralistic
D) legalistic

Question 21

Adopting the psychological perspective of crime would greatly expand the scope of criminology.

Question 22

__________ is the process by which one acquires the cultural values of one's society.

A) Socialization
B) Integration
C) Social relativity
D) Criminalistics

Question 23

Criminal justice focuses on questions about the causes of crime.

Question 24

Many modern criminologists operate from a(n) _______ perspective.

A) psychological
B) political
C) economic
D) sociological

Question 25

The pluralistic perspective is most applicable to societies characterized by a shared belief system.

Question 26

The ______ contributes to a criminal event by failing to prevent criminal activity.

A) victim
B) offender
C) criminal justice system
D) general public

Question 27

Which of the following recent developments in national crime control policy was not substantially influenced by the social responsibility perspective?

A) The increase in the number of federal capital crimes
B) The enactment of a federal three-strikes law
C) The abolition of federal parole
D) The creation of the Job Corps to reduce unemployment by encouraging the development of job skills

Question 28

Which of the following is a background contribution by the offender?

A) A genetic inventory
B) A peculiar motivation
C) A specific intent
D) A drug-induced state of mind

Question 29

Ultimately, crime is a result of the coming together of inputs provided by all but which of the following?

A) The victim
B) The criminal justice system
C) Society
D) The media

Question 30

The social responsibility perspective focuses on the

A) individual.
B) society.
C) government.
D) justice system.

Question 31

Criminology is an interdisciplinary field.

Question 32

Victims may actively contribute to their own victimization through the appearance of

A) defensiveness.
B) exposure.
C) defenselessness.
D) precipitation.

Question 33

All criminal behavior is deviant.

Question 34

Some behaviors are considered to be crimes only if they are committed by a child.

Question 35

There is a growing tendency to apply the term criminologist to anyone who works in the criminal justice field.

Question 36

The difficulty in reaching agreement regarding legalizing marijuana is an example of social consensus.

Question 37

An American visitor witnessing a crime in Japan may interpret the events differently than someone born within the Japanese culture. This is an example of

A) intercultural perspective.
B) social relativity.
C) deviant perception.
D) politicization.

Question 38

The legalistic perspective defines crime as a violation of the criminal law.

Question 39

This book recognizes that crime is not an isolated individual activity but a(n) _______ event.

A) social
B) economic
C) deviant
D) political

Question 40

A correctional officer is a criminalist.

Question 41

Background causes of crime are known as ___________.

Question 42

Translational criminology focuses on taking research findings and converting them into social policy.

Question 43

An integrated theory is one that proposes a single identifiable cause for all serious criminal behavior.

Question 44

Because crime is a social event, it can have more than one interpretation.

Question 45

A theory that attempts to explain all types of criminal behavior is a general theory of crime.

Question 46

The abolition of federal parole and the creation of the federal three-strikes law were influenced by the social problems perspective.

Question 47

A social program that encourages teenagers to stay in school and graduate is typical of the social problems perspective.

Question 48

The primacy of sociology should not prevent criminologists from recognizing contributions from other perspectives.

Question 49

___________ criminology proposes explanations for criminal behavior.

Question 50

The social _________ perspective argues that criminal offenders should be dealt with individually.

Question 51

________ is human activity that violates social norms.

Question 52

Seeing crime as the result of criteria that have been built into the law by powerful groups is the basis of the __________ perspective on crime.

Question 53

The sociological perspective considers crime to be a(n) __________ act.

Question 54

Social _______ means that social events are interpreted differently according to an individual's cultural experiences and personal interests.

Question 55

Truancy and running away from home are examples of __________.

Question 56

_________ focuses on questions about the causes of criminal behavior.

Question 57

Social relativity means that the offender and the victim interpret crime in a similar way.

Question 58

The __________ perspective suggests that behaviors should be criminalized when members of society generally agree that such laws are necessary.

Question 59

The consequences of crime include both outputs and interpretations.

Question 60

The social responsibility perspective considers the cause of crime to be individual perpetrators.

Question 61

What are the two contrasting viewpoints on which the book is built? Explain each and give examples of policies based on each viewpoint.

Question 62

A specific intent is an example of a __________ contribution to crime by the offender.

Question 63

What is criminology and what is a criminologist? What career paths are available for individuals earning various degrees in criminology?

Question 64

What limitations exist with the legal perspective of crime?

Question 65

How do the different roles of criminologists, criminalities, and criminal justice vary in the field? How do these roles contribute to the field of criminology? Who contributes to social policy?

Question 66

A situation in which someone starts a fight but ends up being severely beaten is an example of victim ___________.

Question 67

An innocent victim killed outside his/her home by random gunfire from a drive-by shooting is a __________ participant in the crime.

Question 68

What are the various definitional perspectives by which crime can be defined and how does each perspective define crime? What is deviant behavior? What are the similarities and differences between criminal behavior and deviant behavior?

Question 69

The field of ___________ has contributed the most to criminology