Deck 9: Developmental Theories: Life Course and Latent Trait

Question 1

Developmental theories attempt to provide a natural history of criminal careers by encompassing:

A)its onset, continuation, and termination.
B)delinquency and criminal behaviors.
C)uni-dimensional and multidimensional treatment efforts.
D)offenders' race/ethnicity, age, and gender.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Life course theorists examine offending patterns and trends. Terrie Moffit describes adolescent-limited offenders as:

A)angry adolescents.
B)typical teenagers.
C)classic persisters.
D)standard youth.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Laub and Sampson identify life events that enable adult offenders to desist from crime. Accordingly, they identify transitions as short-term events embedded in:

A)trajectories.
B)social capital.
C)marital relationships.
D)pathways.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Public policy programs based on developmental theory:

A)focus on deterrence through strict punishments.
B)include mechanisms for reintegrating offenders into society.
C)provide self-help treatments aimed at adult offenders.
D)feature multi-systemic treatments designed for at-risk youths.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the significant life-changing events that reduces criminality, according to Laub and Sampson?

A)buying a car
B)joining the military
C)getting married
D)getting a job

Question 6

Bacon and Paternoster identified this pathway to crime characterized by staying out of trouble during adolescence, until late in one's teenage years, then becoming violent chronic offenders.

A)the authority conflict pathway
B)the covert pathway
C)the overt pathway
D)the late bloomer pathway

Question 7

Latent trait theorists believe human development is controlled by a master trait present at birth or soon after that results in:

A)low intellectual development.
B)verbal and physical aggression.
C)an increased propensity to commit crime.
D)a reduced ability to interpret social interactions.

Question 8

The integrative methodology in the early research of __________ formed the basis of today's developmental approach.

A)James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein
B)Eleanor Glueck and Sheldon Glueck
C)Rolf Loeber and Marc LeBlanc
D)Marvin Wolfgang and Terri Moffitt

Question 9

Because they combine personal, social, socialization, cognitive, and situational factors, life course theories are described as:

A)multidimensional theories
B)incorporated theories
C)integrated theories
D)dynamic theories

Question 10

How do life course theorists view criminality?

A)as an inflexible process
B)as a dynamic process
C)as an opportunity-driven process
D)as a static process

Question 11

Aside from identifying several specific pathways to crime, what else did Lober discover about criminal pathways?

A)Some pathways do not lead to a sustained deviant career.
B)Some people enter two and even three pathways simultaneously.
C)Adult crime specialization is dependent upon the pathway taken to crime.
D)Adolescents who simultaneously enter more than one pathway are the most likely to desist from crime as they mature.

Question 12

Using data from a longitudinal study of Pittsburgh youth, Loeber identified distinct pathways to crime. Which pathway begins at an early age with stubborn behavior?

A)the authority conflict pathway
B)the covert pathway
C)the overt pathway
D)the late bloomer pathway

Question 13

Life course theories integrate personal, social, socialization, situational and cognitive factors to explain human behavior. Personality and intelligence are __________ factors that can explain the onset and continuation of criminality.

A)personal
B)social
C)socialization
D)cognitive

Question 14

Why is early onset an important factor in crime?

A)Because the earlier that antisocial behavior is identified, the earlier that turning points can be implemented.
B)Because latent traits may have gone unnoticed or unidentified at birth.
C)Because early onset of antisocial behavior predicts later and more serious criminality.
D)Because early onset of antisocial behavior is void of the crime-non-crime choice mechanism suggested by Wilson and Herrnstein.

Question 15

Which is an inaccurate statement about problem behaviors and problem behavior syndrome?

A)All varieties of criminal behavior may be a part of a generalized problem behavior syndrome.
B)People suffering from one problem behavior condition typically exhibit many symptoms of the rest.
C)The more risk factors a person suffers, the greater the likelihood they will engage in antisocial behavior.
D)Problem behavior syndrome portrays crime as the product of other social problems.

Question 16

According to latent trait theory, when does a latent trait appear?

A)at birth or soon after
B)during childhood
C)during adolescence
D)during early adulthood

Question 17

Sampson and Laub's research indicates that building __________ and strong social bonds reduces the likelihood of long-term deviance.

A)knowledge
B)social capital
C)marketable skills
D)financial capital

Question 18

According to life course theories, criminal opportunity, effective guardianship, and apprehension risk are __________ factors that can explain the onset, continuance, and desistance from crime.

A)personal
B)social
C)cognitive
D)situational

Question 19

One of the key principles of life course theory is that:

A)high verbal ability during childhood predicts persistence.
B)persistent offenders begin their offending careers in late adolescence.
C)the earlier the onset of criminality, the more specialized and violent the criminal career.
D)the seeds of a criminal career are planted early in life.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is inaccurate in terms of the empirical research supporting Laub and Sampson's age-graded theory?

A)Criminality appears to be dynamic and is affected by behaviors occurring over the life course.
B)People who get involved with the justice system as adolescents may find that their career paths are blocked well into adulthood.
C)Criminal career trajectories are impossible to reverse, even if life conditions improve.
D)Accumulating social capital reduces crime rates.

Question 21

Which of the following statements regarding gender differences and the general theory of crime is accurate?

A)The GTC predicts gender differences in self-control and crime.
B)There is little evidence that males are more impulsive than females.
C)Females are more likely to persist in crime due to low self-control.
D)Male juvenile offenders exhibit greater impulse control than female juvenile offenders until approximately sixteen years of age when levels equalize.

Question 22

Life course theorists seek to understand why people enter a criminal way of life and, once they do, why they alter the trajectory of their criminal involvement.

Question 23

Developmental theories attempt to explain the natural history of a criminal career encompassing its onset, continuation, and termination.

Question 24

According to Wilson and Herrnstein's crime and human nature view, a criminal incident occurs when an individual chooses criminal over conventional behavior. What factor influences that choice?

A)social capital
B)a latent trait
C)low self-control
D)peer influence

Question 25

Although criminal offenders are people predisposed to crime, they are not robots who commit crime without restraint. According to the general theory of crime, change in the frequency of criminal activity is a function of:

A)change in one's level of impulsivity.
B)change in one's level of self-control.
C)change in criminal opportunity.
D)change in environmental conditions.

Question 26

Life-course persisters may be considered "typical teenagers" who get into minor scrapes, first in adolescence and, later, in adulthood.

Question 27

Building social capital supports conventional behavior and inhibits deviant behavior.

Question 28

Gottfredson and Hirschi trace the root cause of poor self-control to:

A)lack of education.
B)inadequate child-rearing practices.
C)weak social bonds.
D)peer associations.

Question 29

Late bloomers combine psychopathology with risk-taking behavior and poor social skills.

Question 30

Because it assumes that human character is selfish, self-serving and hedonistic, the general theory of crime is criticized for:

A)lacking cross-cultural relevance.
B)failing to explain higher impulsivity in women.
C)misreading human nature.
D)overly focusing on white-collar crime.

Question 31

Criminal career trajectories cannot be reversed even if life conditions improve.

Question 32

Problem behavior syndrome portrays crime as the by-product of other social problems.

Question 33

Which empirical evidence supports the general theory of crime?

A)Low self-control is significantly related to antisocial behavior and the association can be seen regardless of culture or national setting.
B)The general theory of crime is tautological, or involves circular reasoning.
C)Regional and ecological patterns in the crime rate are associated with differential levels of self-control.
D)High moral standards can inhibit crime even among impulsive individuals.

Question 34

Critics of the GTC argue that white-collar criminals and organized crime bosses:

A)seem more calculating than impulsive.
B)are capable of showing empathy to their clientele and, thus, are able to control their impulses.
C)are more likely to be impulsive than street criminals.
D)are not impacted by the need for immediate gratification.

Question 35

The early onset of antisocial behavior strongly predicts later and more serious criminality.

Question 36

In their general theory of crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi consider the criminal offender and the criminal act as _______concepts.

A)separate
B)balanced
C)competing
D)opposite

Question 37

Gottfredson and Hirschi claim that the principles of self-control theory:

A)predominantly explain violent crime.
B)predominantly explain property crime.
C)predominantly explain street crime.
D)can explain all varieties of criminal behavior.

Question 38

Latent trait theories hold that human development is controlled by a "master trait" present at birth or soon after.

Question 39

Lober's covert pathway begins with minor, underhanded behaviors such as lying and shoplifting.

Question 40

According to the general theory of crime, being adventuresome, physical, and self-centered are all signs that a person possess:

A)high self-esteem.
B)low self-esteem.
C)high self-control.
D)low self-control.

Question 41

According to latent trait theory, the propensity to commit crime is unstable, but the opportunity to commit crime remains stable over time.

Question 42

According to Wilson and Herrnstein's crime and human nature concept, how and why does crime happen?

Question 43

Provide a summary of developmental theory's evolution including those theorists important in this theory's history.

Question 44

Regardless of gender or environment, those who maintain a latent trait may be predisposed to crime and are in danger of becoming career criminals.

Question 45

Identify and discuss the principles of life course theories.

Question 46

Define and discuss Sampson and Laub's turning points in a criminal career. Include the concept of social capital in your response.

Question 47

The general theory of crime links the propensity to commit crime to low intelligence and body build.

Question 48

Identify and describe the various pathways to crime as categorized by Rolf Lober and Sarah Bacon and her associates.

Question 49

How is age of onset related to crime and criminality?

Question 50

What are latent traits and how are latent traits linked to the onset and persistence of crime?

Question 51

What is problem behavior syndrome and how is it linked to criminality?

Question 52

The crime and human nature model proposes that biological and psychological traits influence the crime-non-crime choice.

Question 53

Discuss the two distinct developmental viewpoints - life-course and latent trait theories.

Question 54

Gottfredson and Hirschi link the propensity to commit crime to two latent traits - an impulsive personality and a lack of self-control. Explain how these traits result in crime.

Question 55

Gottfredson and Hirschi trace the root cause of poor self-control to inadequate child-rearing practices.