Deck 6: Developmental Theories of Delinquency: Life Course, Latent Trait, and Trajectory

Question 1

According to the text, Zimmerman found that in high-crime neighborhoods, impulsive youth were no more delinquent than their nonimpulsive peers. ​

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Some individuals are incapable of maturing in a reasonable and timely fashion because of family, environmental, or personal problems. ​

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Teens with high IQs and low IQs will commit equal amounts of delinquency. ​

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Wolfgang found that many offenders engage in frequent and repeated offending across their life span.

Question 5

Laub and Sampson found that adolescents who were adjudicated delinquent at an early age were no more likely to develop antisocial attitudes as adults than were adolescents who were never adjudicated delinquent. ​

Question 6

Interactional theory postulates that the onset of delinquent behavior can be traced to a deterioration of the social bond during adolescence. ​

Question 7

A limited number of delinquency theories portray antisocial behavior as the outcome of social problems. ​

Question 8

Integrated theories focus on the relatively simple question: "Why do people commit crime?" ​

Question 9

Trajectory theorists recognize that career delinquents may travel multiple roads. ​

Question 10

A vital feature that helps people desist from delinquency is "human agency." ​

Question 11

The major premise of interactional theory is that community-level risk factors make some people susceptible to antisocial behavior. ​

Question 12

Instead of accumulating social capital, some youth experience social problems that weigh down their life chances. These are referred to as turning points. ​

Question 13

Life-course theorists are particularly interested in understanding why one youth persists in crime while another youth is able to desist. ​

Question 14

According to the General Theory of Crime (GTC), the propensity to commit antisocial acts is indirectly tied to a person's level of self-control. ​

Question 15

Opportunity can be used to explain ecological variation in the delinquency rate. ​

Question 16

Individual traits and childhood experiences are important in understanding the continuity of crime into adulthood. ​

Question 17

The low self-control children model may be intergenerational. ​

Question 18

Trajectory theory is a developmental approach that combines elements of propensity and general theory of crime. ​

Question 19

A small group of chronic offenders engage in frequent and repeated delinquent acts, but desist as they enter their twenties. ​

Question 20

Some offenders may begin their careers early in life, whereas others are late bloomers who begin committing delinquency when most people desist. ​

Question 21

In regard to the relationship between propensity and opportunity in the commission of delinquent acts, which of the following is correct? ​

A)Both propensity and opportunity remain stable
B)Both propensity and opportunity fluctuate
C)Propensity remains stable, opportunity fluctuates
D)Propensity fluctuates, opportunity remains stable

Question 22

Which of the following is considered to be one of the most important longitudinal studies tracking persistent offenders? ​

A)Chicago Delinquency Project
B)Wolfgang's Philadelphia Study
C)Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
D)Glueck's Harvard Study

Question 23

Paul was always a "hand full"; as a toddler and then preschooler he was stubborn, refusing to speak to people who spoke to him or comply with simple requests.  In elementary school, Paul's stubborn behaviors morphed into open defiance.  He would not comply with school personnel requests he go to his classroom or with his teacher when she asked him to read or complete an assignment.  At home, when asked by his parents to complete a chore or to do his homework, Paul would stare at them and simply say, "No."  When Paul entered middle school, he started staying out late and not going to school.  Eventually he started to run away whenever the mood struck him.  Which of the pathways appropriately describes Paul's delinquent behaviors? ​

A)Covert pathway
B)Overt pathway
C)Authority conflict pathway
D)Trajectory pathway

Question 24

Mary, Peter and Paul's friend, started shoplifting in middle school.  She frequently lied to her parents about how she acquired the new clothes. One day her mother found her stash of makeup and when questioned, Mary said she found the makeup in the pocket of a coat she purchased at Good Will.  Mary was enraged that another girl at school was flirting with someone Mary liked.  She vowed revenge and got Peter and Paul to help her vandalize the girl's house and set fire to the girl's locker at school. In high school, Mary was caught trying to forge her mother's signature on a check for a large amount of cash.   When that did not work, Mary broke into a few of the neighbors' homes.  Which of the pathways correctly identifies Mary's escalating behaviors? ​

A)Covert pathway
B)Overt pathway
C)Authority conflict pathway
D)Trajectory pathway

Question 25

Paul's friend Peter bullied his classmates in elementary school.  He started with name-calling, then moved to physical aggression including head-slapping, tripping, and shoving.  His parents did not consider this as physical aggression, really.  More like "boys will be boys."  As he got older, Paul began to engage in physical altercations.  The physical fighting grew more intense when Paul joined a gang.  As a teenager, Paul was convicted in adult court of a strong-arm attack and rape.  Which pathway aligns to Paul's behavior? ​

A)Covert pathway
B)Overt pathway
C)Authority conflict pathway
D)Trajectory pathway

Question 26

What refers to the propensity to commit crime that profoundly and permanently disrupts normal socialization over the life course? ​

A)State dependence
B)Cumulative disadvantages
C)Latent trait
D)Problem behavior syndrome

Question 27

The Gluecks identified a number of personal and social factors related to persistent offending.  The most important of those factors was family relations.  What were the terms considered in the family relations?

A)Quality of time parents spent with their children
B)Number of children in family-division of parental time among children
C)Family composition-intact nuclear family
D)Quality of discipline and emotional ties with parents

Question 28

Rebekah has a below-average IQ, a low amount of self-control, and a high degree of impulsivity.  What would these individual characteristics be considered? ​

A)General
B)Trajectory
C)Propensity
D)Latent traits

Question 29

Jill knows there are three independent yet interrelated developmental views of delinquency-propensity theory, life-course theory, and some other theory she cannot remember.  Of the following, which is the third theory? ​

A)Persister theory
B)Limited engagement theory
C)Transitional theory
D)Trajectory theory

Question 30

With a focus on the forerunner of delinquency, what area did the Gluecks research? ​

A)Economic conditions
B)Early onset of delinquency
C)School failure
D)Abuse and neglect

Question 31

In his early teenage years, Tom would get into minor tussles, engaging in what his parents referred to as "rebellious teenage behaviors."  As he reached his mid-teens, Tom started to mimic the behaviors of gang of kids at school who were always in trouble.  As he reached his senior year, Tom began to seriously consider his future.  He was concerned that his "rebellious years" might have dramatically affected his chances of getting into a good college and he seriously curtailed his delinquent behaviors.  Which of the following describes Tom's voyage into delinquency? ​

A)Conflicted offender
B)Life-course persister
C)Escalator
D)Adolescent-limited

Question 32

Jack wants to investigate the developmental theory that focuses on changes in criminality over the life span. Which of the following theories would Jack investigate?

A)Life-course
B)Propensity
C)Behavior
D)Trajectory

Question 33

Mandy has a successful and lucrative career with a supportive family and boyfriend.  Sampson and Laub would say Mandy has which of the following? ​

A)Strong support network
B)Social capital
C)Encouraging boss and family
D)Positive reinforcement

Question 34

Roscoe is interested in learning more about a theory holding the view that delinquency is a process influenced by social experiences as well as individual characteristics.  Which of the following theories should Roscoe research? ​

A)Differential association
B)Labeling
C)Developmental
D)Latent trait

Question 35

What program is designed to prevent serious antisocial behavior and related adolescent problems in high-risk children entering first grade? ​

A)Bright Beginnings
B)SMART
C)Fast Track
D)PATHS

Question 36

According to Sampson and Laub, what refers to positive life experiences such as gaining employment or joining the military, which create informal social control mechanisms that limit delinquent behavior opportunities?

A) Turning points
B)Cumulative advantages
C)Social capital
D)Maturation

Question 37

By middle childhood, what sustains antisocial behavior? ​

A)Social rejection by conventional peers
B)Academic failure and socialization by unskilled parents
C)Socialization by unskilled parents
D)Social rejection by conventional peers and academic failure

Question 38

Tom and Jerry were neighbors.  Jerry would often go to Tom's house as a retreat from his own dysfunctional household.  For a short period of time, Tom and Jerry hung out together when Tom was in his rebellious years.  Jerry did not do as well as Tom in school as his cognitive abilities were lower, limiting Jerry's academic success.  Additionally, Jerry engaged in far more antisocial behavior as compared to Tom.  When Tom left for college, Jerry was becoming increasingly more entangled in drugs and criminality.  Which of the following best describes Jerry? ​

A)Latent trait criminality
B)Life-course persister
C)Escalator
D)Adolescent-limited

Question 39

What is a cluster of antisocial behaviors that may include family dysfunction, substance abuse, smoking, precocious sexuality and early pregnancy, educational underachievement, suicide attempts, sensation seeking, and unemployment, as well as delinquency called? ​

A)Problem behavior syndrome
B)Emotional and behavioral disturbance
C)Antisocial personality disorder
D)Oppositional defiance disorder

Question 40

Greg's assignment is to research theories that incorporate social, personal, and developmental factors into complex explanations of human behavior.  Which of the following theories should Greg research? ​

A)Life-course
B)General theory of crime
C)Integrated
D)Age-graded

Question 41

What pathway to delinquent deviance begins at an early age with stubborn behavior, and leads to defiance and then to authority avoidance? ​

Question 42

Which of the following is a drug prevention program designed to strengthen the bonds between adults and children and provide opportunities for positive community involvement?

A)SMART
B)Across Ages
C)Positive Action
D)Fast Track

Question 43

If you wanted to investigate a theory of delinquency that looks at the onset, continuity, and termination of a delinquent career, which of the following would best suit your investigation?

A)Trajectory
B)Life-course
C)Developmental
D)Age-graded

Question 44

What theory places more emphasis on the fact that behavior is linked less to personal change and more to changes in the surrounding world? ​

Question 45

Which of the following completes the sentence:  The late bloomer's behavior becomes increasingly violent over time because the late bloomer combines risk-taking behavior, poor social skills, and

A)psychopathology.
B)low self-control.
C)arrested emotional development.
D)low full-scale IQ.

Question 46

Because a transition from one stage of life to another can be a bumpy ride, the propensity to commit crimes is viewed as what type of process? ​

A)Fluctuating
B)Reactionary
C)Nonstable
D)Developmental

Question 47

Which of the following is the most prominent propensity theory today according to the text?

A)Adolescent-limited and life-course persistent
B)Life-course
C)General theory of crime
D)Age-graded

Question 48

Which traits are life-course persistent offenders more likely to manifest as opposed to adolescent-limited offenders?

A)Low verbal reasoning, hypoactivity
B)High verbal reasoning, hypoactivity
C)Hyperactivity, high verbal reasoning
D)Low verbal reasoning, hyperactivity,

Question 49

What theory places a lot of emphasis on the stability brought about by romantic relationships? ​

Question 50

A number of delinquency control and prevention efforts are based on what theory? ​

Question 51

As people mature, their thinking patterns change due to what type of changes? ​

Question 52

Who, according to Terrie Moffitt, are abstainers? ​

Question 53

What theory modified social control theory by adding elements of trait and rational choice theories and shifting focus from social control to self-control? ​

A)Differential association
B)Age-graded
C)Life-course
D)General theory of crime

Question 54

What theory holds the view that that criminality is a dynamic process, influenced by social experiences as well as individual characteristics? ​

Question 55

Defective intelligence, damaged or impulsive personality, genetic abnormalities, and environmental influences on brain function such as alcohol and drugs are all examples of what? ​

A)Latent traits
B)Brain patterns
C)Antisocial traits
D)Psychosis

Question 56

To whom can the foundation of developmental theory be traced? ​

A)Marvin Wolfgang
B)David Farrington
C)Terrence Thornberry
D)Sheldon and Eleanor Gleuck

Question 57

Children who will later become the most serious delinquents begin their deviant careers at what age? ​

Question 58

Rather than a product of other social problems, how does problem behavior syndrome (PBS) portray crime? ​

Question 59

One single factor, according to the general theory of crime, can explain all varieties of crime, from delinquency to insider trading to murder. What is that factor?

A) Impaired social-emotional development ​
B)Psychopathologies
C)Deteriorated social bonds
D)Low self-control

Question 60

Wright and his associates found evidence that low self-control in children predicts disrupted social bonds and delinquent offending later in life. What theory does this finding support? ​

Question 61

Children who suffer from what during the birthing process are most likely to lack self-control later in life? ​

Question 62

What is social capital? ?

Question 63

In considering Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory, describe the concept of social capital, including examples.  Explain why you agree or disagree with this theory. ​

Question 64

In considering life-course theory, describe how disruption promotes delinquency. Explain why you agree or disagree with this concept. ​

Question 65

According to the text, what, since its publication, remains one of the most important and heavily researched views of the onset and continuity of a delinquent career? ​

Question 66

The propensity to commit crime profoundly and permanently disrupts normal socialization over the life course.  What is this concept? ​

Question 67

Who are escalators? ?

Question 68

According to the text, what combined with family dysfunction predisposes life-course persisters to antisocial behavior patterns?  ​

Question 69

Describe the three interrelated views of developmental theory.  Explain your overall view of this theory and which one of the three views you find most significant. ​

Question 70

Describe the adolescent-limited and life-course persistent offenders' theory of crime. Explain why you agree or disagree with this theory.

Question 71

Explain latent trait theories; what do you find most interesting about this theory?  Explain why you agree or disagree with this theory.  ​

Question 72

Incorporation of social, personal, and developmental factors into complex explanations of human behavior is presented through what theory? ​

Question 73

According to the text, what causes low self-control/impulsivity?   Explain why you agree or disagree with the text. ​

Question 74

What theory holds that antisocial behavior is caused by a lack of self-control stemming from an impulsive personality? ​

Question 75

According to some researchers, the general theory of crime is tautological.  What is meant by "tautological"? ​

Question 76

Several questions and criticisms were raised regarding the general theory of crime (GTC); the text presents one of the most important questions raised about the GTC.  Identify and describe this concern.  Explain why you agree or disagree with this concern. ​

Question 77

Describe the concept of problem behavior syndrome (PBS).  Explain why you agree or disagree with this concept. ​

Question 78

Describe why the work of Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck had such a great influence on developmental theory.   Explain your view on the value of their work as it applies to problems with delinquency today. ​

Question 79

What, according to the Gluecks, is the most important factor related to persistent offending? ​

Question 80

Identify and describe the three different pathways or trajectories to crime.  Explain why you agree or disagree with this theory. ​