Question 1

How do social sciences, especially criminology, differ from hard sciences? What makes testing hypotheses and predicting outcomes different for social sciences?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do social sciences, especially criminology, differ...

Question 2

The adequacy of a theory can best be judged by the political or partisan ideologies of its proponents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

A macro theory is one that explains behavior in terms of genetic, chemical, neurological, or physiological factors.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The probabilistic concept of causation suggests that human behavior is determined by external forces with little exercise of free will.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

In democratic society, a good criminal justice or crime prevention policy should not only be effective but also meet legal, ethical, and moral standards of fairness and due process.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Theories in criminology do all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

A)  help us understand how characteristics of individuals (e.g., personality factors, biological factors) are related to criminal behavior 
B)  offer insight into social structures and social processes that may account for differences in crime rates across groups 
C)  offer religious and philosophical perspectives on how we ought to view crime and criminals 
D)  provide bases for predictions about future trends and patterns of crime 
E)  provide guidance to policymakers who may wish to implement programs of crime prevention and control

Question 7

Theories of crime offer tentative answers not only to questions of what is but also to questions of what ought to be.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

According to Edwin Sutherland, criminology involves the study of:

Accepted Answer

A)  how and why particular conduct comes to be defined as illegal 
B)  how laws are enforced by the criminal justice system 
C)  why people violate the law 
D)  scientific techniques of investigating crime 
E)  a, b, and c

Question 9

Probability concepts of cause and soft determinism fit explanations of criminal behavior better than do concepts of strict determinism and direct cause and effect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

A theory that focuses on the subjective perceptions and motivations of individuals is an example of what level of analysis?

Accepted Answer

A)  micro 
B)  meso 
C)  structural 
D)  epidemiological 
E)  sociological

Question 11

The "level of analysis" of a criminological theory refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)  the depth of understanding we get from it regarding the feelings and motivations of criminal offenders 
B)  how complex the theory is as a set of concepts and propositions 
C)  the degree of empirical support that the theory has received 
D)  whether the theory focuses on individuals, groups, or societies in explaining criminal behavior 
E)  none of the above

Question 12

Soft determinism is the concept that behavior is partly a matter of choice and partly a function of influences over which people have no control.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

A useful theory of crime provides implications or guidelines for criminal justice policy, but one cannot directly test the theory from the success or failure of the policy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Sound policy and practice must:

Accepted Answer

A)  be shown empirically to produce the intended outcome 
B)  meet ethical, legal, and moral standards 
C)  be only philosophically plausible 
D)  a and b 
E)  all of the above

Question 15

In the traditional concept of causality, which of the following criteria must be met to establish that X is a cause of Y?

Accepted Answer

A)  X must be a necessary condition, in the absence of which Y will not occur 
B)  X must be a sufficient condition, so that Y always occurs in the presence of X 
C)  changes in X must be correlated with changes in Y 
D)  changes in X must precede changes in Y 
E)  a and b

Question 16

With no prior knowledge of criminological theory, how would you have explained the occurrence of crime?

Accepted Answer

The answer of With no prior knowledge of criminological theory,...

Question 17

Traditional Causality requires that cause X must precede and produce effect Y.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Identify and explain the major criteria for evaluating the adequacy of criminological theories.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify and explain the major criteria for...

Question 19

If a theory of crime is empirically valid, then:

Accepted Answer

A)  there will be no "negative cases," i.e., cases that do not fit the pattern predicted by the theory 
B)  changes in criminal behavior will be correlated with changes in the explanatory variables identified by the theory 
C)  it will provide a more useful guide to social policy than a theory that is not empirically valid 
D)  a and c 
E)  b and c

Question 20

In evaluating the empirical validity of criminological theories, Akers and Sellers take the position that we should:

Accepted Answer

A)  reject a theory until research has found it to be entirely correct 
B)  accept a theory until it encounters negative evidence 
C)  consider asking what degree of research support the theory has received 
D)  compare the amount of support that competing theories have received 
E)  both c and d

Exam 1: Introduction to Criminological Theory

How do social sciences, especially criminology, differ from hard sciences? What makes testing hypotheses and predicting outcomes different for social sciences?

The adequacy of a theory can best be judged by the political or partisan ideologies of its proponents.

A macro theory is one that explains behavior in terms of genetic, chemical, neurological, or physiological factors.

The probabilistic concept of causation suggests that human behavior is determined by external forces with little exercise of free will.

In democratic society, a good criminal justice or crime prevention policy should not only be effective but also meet legal, ethical, and moral standards of fairness and due process.

Theories in criminology do all of the following except:

Theories of crime offer tentative answers not only to questions of what is but also to questions of what ought to be.

According to Edwin Sutherland, criminology involves the study of:

Probability concepts of cause and soft determinism fit explanations of criminal behavior better than do concepts of strict determinism and direct cause and effect.

A theory that focuses on the subjective perceptions and motivations of individuals is an example of what level of analysis?

The "level of analysis" of a criminological theory refers to:

Soft determinism is the concept that behavior is partly a matter of choice and partly a function of influences over which people have no control.

A useful theory of crime provides implications or guidelines for criminal justice policy, but one cannot directly test the theory from the success or failure of the policy.

Sound policy and practice must:

In the traditional concept of causality, which of the following criteria must be met to establish that X is a cause of Y?

With no prior knowledge of criminological theory, how would you have explained the occurrence of crime?

Traditional Causality requires that cause X must precede and produce effect Y.

Identify and explain the major criteria for evaluating the adequacy of criminological theories.

If a theory of crime is empirically valid, then:

In evaluating the empirical validity of criminological theories, Akers and Sellers take the position that we should: