Deck 1: Introduction to Criminal Justice

Question 1

Methodological narcissists avoid subjects which do not lend themselves to their favored method.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Our basic approach to criminal justice research in this course is supportive of the view that prediction is useless or impossible since all individuals are unique.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Martinson later retracted his "nothing works" critique of corrections research.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A deductive process proceeds from general theories to specific facts.

Question 5

The dependent variable is the variable one is attempting to predict.

Question 6

The null hypothesis is the predicted expected relationship and cannot be tested.

Question 7

It is standard practice in research to refer to the variable one wishes to predict as being the dependent or outcome variable.

Question 8

Error is ever present even in the best of research in criminal justice.

Question 9

Concepts are converted into variables through operationali zation.

Question 10

Those concerned with good research should be objective, vigilant, and sympathetic.

Question 11

Most criminal justice textbooks are overly theoretical and lack an applied quality.

Question 12

Martinson's review of criminal justice programs concluded that "nothing works".

Question 13

It is essential that all research projects follow the same specific steps and be quantitative in nature.

Question 14

According to the text, most criminal justice research findings are simply a matter of "common sense".

Question 15

Researchers universally agree that quantitative research is the only valid form of research.

Question 16

Theory devoid of method is preferable to method devoid of theory.

Question 17

Most of the research methods employed in criminal justice are borrowed from and shared with the other social sciences.

Question 18

"Pure research" is a higher form of research than "applied research".

Question 19

Generally, theory is concerned with questions of "why" while methodology deals with "what is".

Question 20

Theory is as necessary in the production of valid criminal justice research as method.

Question 21

Variables are converted into concepts through the process of operationalization.

Question 22

All criminal justice research is empirical in nature.

Question 23

Induction is a process of moving from specific facts to general theories.

Question 24

The study of research methods primarily has to do with studying statistics.

Question 25

Serendipity refers to an unexpected discovery.

Question 26

Many myths in criminal justice research were described as being rooted in common sense.

Question 27

The dependent variable is identified by the letter Y and is the outcome variable.

Question 28

Method is more important in the research process than is theory.

Question 29

Martinson felt that most criminal justice programs worked well in preventing crime.

Question 30

Verstehen refers to a technique for studying German culture.

Question 31

Deduction is a process of moving from the general to the specific.

Question 32

Induction is a process of moving from general theories to specific facts.

Question 33

The independent variable is the variable one is attempting to predict.

Question 34

Sound criminal justice research must eliminate all sources of error in order to be acceptable as accurate and valid.

Question 35

In predicting general patterns social scientists deal in probabilities and do not expect these patterns to hold in each and every case.

Question 36

Data gathering is the first step in the research process.

Question 37

A paradigm shift refers to a major change in a basic model or theoretical framework.

Question 38

Quantitative research is of a higher order and is superior to qualitative research.

Question 39

The androcentric bias in criminology refers to the fact that females have been neglected in the field.

Question 40

Common sense was described in the text as generally a poor guide for accurate criminal justice research.

Question 41

What was not mentioned by the Ad Hoc Committee on Justice Research as a role of practitioners in the setting of a federal research agenda?

A) practitioners should have an equal role with academi cians in establishing research agendas
B) practitioners should play a role in peer review of proposals
C) practitioners should have a role in disseminating the results of research
D) practitioners should insist that all research be policy relevant

Question 42

Which of the following was not mentioned by Williams as a factor in "The Demise of the Criminological Imagination"?

A) an overabundance of theory at the expense of research
B) an overemphasis upon "empirical scientism"
C) a critical intellectual environment nurtured in the sixties
D) the rise of criminal justice as a discipline

Question 43

Concepts are variables that have been operationalized.

Question 44

Concepts are:

A) abstract tags put on reality
B) general statements regarding the relationship between variables
C) the variable one is attempting to predict
D) specific statements regarding the relationship between
Variables

Question 45

Which of the following is usually the first step in the research process?

A) research design
B) data analysis
C) data gathering
D) problem formulation

Question 46

Which of the following was not listed as a step in empirical research in criminal justice?

A) problem formulation
B) a classic experimental design
C) data gathering
D) analysis and presentation of findings

Question 47

Any criminal justice research:

A) is applied in nature
B) contains some error
C) is theoretically grounded
D) is empirical in nature

Question 48

Methodological narcissism refers to:

A) specification of the research problem
B) preference for a single type of research method
C) generalization from specific facts
D) investigation of concept operationalization

Question 49

Research concerned with addressing and providing solutions to immediate problems is called:

A) applied research
B) pure research
C) secondary research d unobtrusive research

Question 50

Which of the following was not suggested by Hirschi and Selvin as advice for either doing or critiquing the research of others?

A) use objectivity
B) use statistics
C) be vigilant
D) be sympathetic

Question 51

Which of the following is correct regarding criminal justice research?

A) criminal justice research is simply a matter of common sense
B) criminal justice researchers expect absolute determinism
C) criminal justice researchers assume their subject matter is probabilistic
D) criminal justice researchers assume their relationships will hold in each individual case

Question 52

There is unanimous agreement that the cause of the crime dip in the 1990s was due to application of the "broken windows" approach to policing.

Question 53

A concept which has been operationalized is referred to as:

A) a theory
B) a hypothesis
C) a variable
D) an empirical generalization

Question 54

In the text the point of view taken regarding common sense and research was:

A) sometimes common sense is nonsense
B) common sense is more useful than research
C) research conclusions should make common sense
D) common sense should be our guide in conducting research

Question 55

Which of the following was not mentioned by Comte as part of the progression of knowledge?

A) theological
B) astrological
C) metaphysical
D) scientific

Question 56

Which of the following was not suggested as necessary for the improvement of criminal justice research by Bayley?

A) the need for interdisciplinary approaches
B) the attacking of practical problems in criminal justice
C) the use of the experimental model in all projects
D) avoidance of "methodological narcissism"

Question 57

Methodological narcissism involves:

A) methods for methods sake
B) another word for feminist research methods
C) qualitative data gathering
D) common sense in research

Question 58

Crime analysis is a systematic, analytic process aimed at providing practical information related to crime patterns.

Question 59

The dependent variable in a study:

A) is the variable which causes other variables
B) determines or precedes in time other variables
C) is denoted by the letter X
D) is denoted by the letter Y

Question 60

The Project of Human Development utilized an accelerated panel design.

Question 61

Which of the following represented a "paradigm shift" in American criminal justice:

A) the UCR
B) the NCVS
C) drug use forecasting
D) broken windows

Question 62

What type of research design was featured in the Chicago "Project of Human Development"?

A) ex post facto
B) Solomon four-group
C) classical experimental design
D) accelerated longitudinal design

Question 63

involves the collection of accurate facts or data regarding the nature of crime and criminal justice policy.

Question 64

Hypotheses are derived from:

A) theory
B) method
C) data analysis
D) variables

Question 65

The repeating of a study using the same methodology is known as:

A) replication
B) operationalization
C) elaboration
D) specification

Question 66

represents an attempt to develop plausible explanations of reality; to explain, predict, and understand how and why events occur.

Question 67

Research which is intended to advance knowledge with less concern for practical implications is called:

A) applied research
B) evaluation research
C) pure research
D) descriptive research

Question 68

is a type of research concerned with acquiring new knowledge for the sake of science.

Question 69

Attempts to provide "plausible explanations of reality" is a description of:

A) theory
B) method
C) a concept
D) deduction

Question 70

A new model or revolutionary scheme with which to view reality is described by Kuhn as:

A) paradigm shift
B) manifest function
C) Matthew effect
D) operationalization

Question 71

is practical research concerned with solving immediate policy problems.

Question 72

Attempts to answer the question "what is" is a description of:

A) theory
B) method
C) hypothesis
D) variable

Question 73

"Abstract tags put on reality" is a definition of:

A) concepts
B) variables
C) theories
D) methods

Question 74

is the confirmation of the accuracy of findings or attainment of greater certitude in conclusions through additional observations.

Question 75

The process by which a concept is converted into a variable is called:

A) replication
B) operationalization
C) elaboration
D) specification

Question 76

is the repetition of experiments or studies utilizing the same methodology.

Question 77

Specific statements or predictions regarding the relation ship between two variables is known as a:

A) variable
B) concept
C) theory
D) hypothesis

Question 78

The variable that one wishes to predict is known as the:

A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) intervening variable
D) predictor variable

Question 79

The independent variable in a study is:

A) the variable which causes the other variables
B) the variable which is caused by the other variables
C) sometimes called the outcome variable
D) denoted by the letter X

Question 80

The variable that explains or predicts the outcome variable is known as the:

A) elaboration variable
B) conceptual variable
C) independent variable
D) dependent variable