Deck 3: Causes of Delinquency: Rational Choice and Individual Explanations

Question 1

A major strength of psychodynamic theory is:

A) It explains the reasoning behind deviance.
B) It explains the motivation of deviant behavior.
C) It does not have any strengths.
D) It explains the onset of deviance and delinquency regardless of social class problems or peer influence.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Sigmund Freud suggested that juvenile delinquents had trouble conforming to ________ expectations because they had not developed a health superego.

A) Authority and academic
B) Parental
C) Parental and societal
D) Economic

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The differential treatment hypothesis is backed by studies that show that a _______proportion of learning disabled children are arrested and incarcerated.

A) Small
B) Decreasing
C) Average
D) Higher

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Behaviorism's major premise is:

A) Stimulus-response, conditioning.
B) Learning behavior from peers.
C) Behavior is based on internal motivation.
D) Behavior is externally based on motivation.

Question 5

Cesare Lombroso described certain characteristics of a criminal, which he called:

A) Dogma
B) Paradigm
C) Stigmata
D) Physical Manifestations

Question 6

Critics of classical theory question the degree to which criminal behavior is:

A) Always rotten
B) Always rational
C) Always rational and intelligent
D) Always rational and a process of free will.

Question 7

What is the percentage of children in the general population with a learning disability?

A) 15%
B) 10%
C) 12%
D) 20%

Question 8

What are William Sheldon's three human physique types?

A) Endomorphy, ectomorphy, mesomorphy
B) Endomorph, tendomorph, ectomorph
C) Small, medium, large
D) Thin, gangly, ectomorph

Question 9

The classical theory of crime states that:

A) Crime is caused by the devil.
B) Crime is a lack of goodness in a person.
C) Crime is a voluntary act.
D) Crime is how people naturally behave without laws.

Question 10

Drugs have NOT been proven to cause what?

A) Happiness
B) Sleepiness
C) Aggression
D) Deviance

Question 11

Which one of the following is the best example of specific deterrence?

A) A parent punishing one of three siblings harshly and tells the child that if he/she does the behavior again he/she will be punished even more severely.
B) A parent punishing one of three siblings so that the child remembers the negative consequence of her/his action.
C) A parent punishing one of three siblings harshly announces to the rest of the children that if the same behavior occurs worse will happen to them.
D) A parent punishing one of three siblings negotiates with the child in an effort to seem nurturing.

Question 12

Who found that some juveniles in training schools were what he called "feebleminded"?

A) Henry Good
B) Henry Goddard
C) Robert Goddard
D) Stephen Goodard

Question 13

Which one of the following is the best example of general deterrence?

A) A parent punishing one of three siblings harshly in an effort to deter the rest from the same behavior.
B) A parent punishing one of three siblings so that the child remembers the negative consequence of their action.
C) A parent punishing one of three siblings harshly announces to the rest of the children that if the same behavior occurs worse will happen to them.
D) A parent punishing one of three siblings negotiates with the child in an effort to seem nurturing.

Question 14

What are the criteria for theories that best explain delinquency causation?

A) Theories that are short and simple.
B) Theories that are clear and simple, testable and based on observations and research data, and are logically consistent.
C) Theories that are complex and testable with empirical basis.
D) Theories that are widely accepted by the academic community.

Question 15

What three factors does the effectiveness of deterrence rely on?

A) Speed, accuracy, severity
B) Accuracy, relevancy, speed
C) Certainty, accuracy, speed
D) Certainty, speed, severity

Question 16

Classical theory is also called:

A) Primary theory
B) Utilitarian theory
C) Prime Theory
D) Rationalor choice) theory

Question 17

Juvenile delinquency may be caused by:

A) One factor
B) A multitude of factors
C) An interaction of all factors
D) Three factors

Question 18

Explanations of juvenile delinquency which focus on the individual include:

A) Biological, genetic and psychological causes
B) Biological, social and economic causes
C) Relationship, social disorganization, and economic causes
D) Just neurological causes.

Question 19

Positivist theories believe that delinquency is:

A) Random, or caused by the environment.
B) Determined, or caused by factors over which the individual has little or no control over.
C) Purely caused by a reaction to environmental factors.
D) Purely caused by personal motivations.

Question 20

What psychologists introduced behaviorism?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B. F. Skinner
C) Eleanor Glueck
D) Mark Burwae

Question 21

West and Farrington1973) conducted studies that lead them to conclude that "IQ" is a predictive factor in future delinquency.

Question 22

The original, classical theory of crime held that it was simply a voluntary and rational choice.

Question 23

The psychological theory links delinquency to social changes that increase the opportunities for crime.

Question 24

The rational choice theory assumes that offenders make decisions and choices to maximize the benefits of the crime and avoid the risks.

Question 25

Positive theories of delinquency explanations hold that behavior is determined by factors which individuals have complete control over.

Question 26

Social explanations of crime place causes of delinquency in the structure of society, cultural differences, and social processes.

Question 27

A "specific deterrent" discourages offenders from repeating their crimes by threatening to punish the offender more harshly the next time.

Question 28

Briefly explain how "susceptibility rationale," "school failure," and "differential treatment" have been used by researchers to offer an apparent link between learning disabilities and delinquency.

Question 29

Positive theorists developed explanations for delinquency based on individual factors such as heredity, intelligence, and psychological characteristics of the offender.

Question 30

Biochemical explanations of delinquency focus solely on the influence illegal drugs have on behavior.

Question 31

Criminological theories are based on research studies that support or question their accuracy.

Question 32

Moral development theories of delinquency focus on how children learn social rules and make judgments on the basis of those rules.

Question 33

Rather than viewing criminal behavior as a product of nature, it seems preferable to examine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences.

Question 34

Wilson and Herrnstein1985) suggest that intelligence makes no difference in the types of crimes committed by offenders.

Question 35

In studying the effects of learning disabilities have on delinquency we consider lower levels of intelligence, visual handicaps, and emotional disturbance.

Question 36

Personality characteristics and individual differences in learning are the major emphases of psychological explanations of delinquency.

Question 37

It may be that youths with learning disabilitiesLD) are not involved with delinquent behavior more than youths without LD, but they are more likely to get caught and arrested.

Question 38

The logical response to crime as a rational behavior is tougher punishment as a deterrent.

Question 39

Studies conducted by criminologists have not clearly demonstrated that alcohol and drug use is a cause of crime and delinquent behavior.

Question 40

From a juvenile justice perspective, the primary purpose for studying and understanding causes of delinquency is to develop policies and programs for preventing juvenile crime and correcting delinquents.

Question 41

Outline the "classical/rational choice" theory for explaining delinquency. What are the types of deterrence? What are the three essential offender expectations for deterrence to be effective?

Question 42

List the three variables associated with "routine activities" of everyday life used to explain the "routine activity approach" to delinquency. Give an example of each variable.