Deck 5: Choice Theory

Question 1

What school of criminology includes theories that have, at their core, the rational decision making of motivated criminals?

A) positivist theory
B) choice theory
C) classical theory
D) determinism theory

Answer 1

classical theory

Question 2

Whose writings originated choice theory?

A) Beccaria and Bentham
B) Hirschi and Gottfredson
C) Van den Haag and Wilson
D) Lombroso and Quetlet

Answer 2

Beccaria and Bentham

Question 3

What did Cesare Beccaria argue the foundation of all punishments should be?

A) harshness
B) humiliation
C) proportionality
D) dispassion

Answer 3

proportionality

Question 4

What was Cesare Beccaria convinced that fair and certain punishment would achieve?

A) prevent the onset of criminality
B) deter criminals
C) achieve social justice
D) control recidivism

Question 5

Who thought people were egotistical and self-centred, and must be goaded by fear of punishment in order to suppress the "despotic spirit" that resides in every person?

A) Jeremy Bentham
B) Cesare Beccaria
C) James Wilson
D) Cesare Martinson

Question 6

What sensation did Cesare Beccaria believe people tried to avoid?

A) humiliation
B) fear
C) pain
D) pleasure

Question 7

What sensation did Cesare Beccaria believe people seek?

A) humiliation
B) fear
C) pain
D) pleasure

Question 8

Who developed the idea of a panopticon?

A) Jeremy Bentham
B) Cesare Beccaria
C) James Wilson
D) Cesare Martinson

Question 9

What setting was the panopticon to be used in?

A) urban areas
B) police stations
C) prisons
D) sporting events

Question 10

Which of the following best describes a panopticon?

A) an underground bunker designed to protect the wealthy from riots by poor people, with viewing ports located just above ground
B) a tower atop public builds to help project the image of state power over the masses
C) an empty building surrounded by high walls, where prisoners could be kept with minimal oversight
D) a tower, centrally located in a prison, but with window coverings so the guards inside could not be seen by the prisoners

Question 11

Which statement would a proponent of utilitarianism be most likely to say?

A) The law is best when it punishes wrongdoers, no matter the effect of such punishment.
B) All punishments are harmful, and their use is only warranted if the punishment prevents greater evil than it creates.
C) A king may do whatever he pleases.
D) Democracy requires that laws produce swift, certain, and severe punishments.

Question 12

Who helped to popularize Cesare Beccaria's ideas by developing the concept of utilitarianism?

A) James Cressey
B) Robert Van den Haag
C) Pietro Lombroso
D) Jeremy Bentham

Question 13

When does Jeremy Bentham suggest that punishment is justified?

A) when it is proportional to the benefit of the criminal act
B) when it promises to prevent a greater evil than it creates
C) when it uses a capricious scale of severity
D) when it induces harm that is greater than the harm caused by the criminal act

Question 14

Which statement exemplifies Jeremy Bentham's belief about the function of law?

A) All laws should produce and support the total happiness of the community it serves.
B) No law should create pain for any citizen.
C) Laws are there to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
D) All laws should be ratified by democratic processes before implementation.

Question 15

The most stunning example of how the classical philosophy of Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham was embraced in Europe occurred in 1789. What happened at that time?

A) France's post-revolutionary Constituent Assembly adopted these ideas in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
B) The Church began passing its criminal matters on to the court to decide fair punishment.
C) The practice of rehabilitation was rampant.
D) The Royal Committee for Criminal Sanctions was adopted to decide which punishments fit which crimes.

Question 16

Which statement is most aligned with the views of a positivist criminologist?

A) Criminal wrongdoing is the result of rational choices made by a criminal.
B) We can understand crime solely by examining the psychology of offenders.
C) Only by looking at the external and internal factors affecting an offender can we understand criminal behaviour.
D) All punishments are harmful, and their use is only warranted if the punishment prevents greater evil than it creates.

Question 17

Which general theme of Cesare Beccaria's utilitarian punishment was often ignored by the nineteenth-century legal system?

A) the idea of deterring crime by punishment
B) the practice of making the punishment proportional to the crime
C) the ban on the use of torture and severe punishment
D) the goal of ensuring a certainty of punishment

Question 18

What replaced physical torture as a punishment for criminals in the nineteenth century?

A) psychological torture
B) community sentences
C) incarceration
D) execution

Question 19

When did the classical approach begin to enjoy a resurgence of popularity in western countries?

A) 1820s
B) 1940s
C) 1960s
D) 1970s

Question 20

Which positivist policy came under attack after classical approaches began to enjoy a resurgence of popularity?

A) rehabilitation of offenders
B) punishing offenders with community service
C) correlation research on the relationship between IQ and crime
D) the use of torture and severe punishments

Question 21

Which person's beliefs are best captured by the statement, "The concept of punishing people for behaviours beyond their control seemed both foolish and cruel."

A) a utilitarian philosopher
B) a classical criminologist
C) a positivist criminologist
D) a choice theorist

Question 22

What was the focus of Robert Martinson's famous national survey "What Works?"?

A) the historical review of classical criminology
B) an early prediction of the increasing crime rates in the 1970s and 1980s
C) a review of rehabilitation programs which showed they failed to prevent recidivism
D) an optimistic prediction that crime could be controlled by rehabilitation

Question 23

Who argued against the positivist view that crime is a function of external forces, such as poverty, that can be altered by government programs?

A) D. J. Clue
B) Kenneth Tunnell
C) Jeremy Bentham
D) James Q. Wilson

Question 24

Who wrote the book, Thinking About Crime?

A) Cesare Beccaria
B) Kenneth Tunnell
C) Jeremy Bentham
D) James Q. Wilson

Question 25

Which statement best explains why politicians supported the ideas promoted by James Q. Wilson?

A) Wilson blamed crime on the choices of individuals, not the social conditions which could be blamed on politicians.
B) Wilson wrote in a way that was easy for laypeople to understand.
C) Wilson was seen as an unbiased academic.
D) Wilson argued that improving social conditions was central to solving crime, and politicians felt this was campaign promise they could uphold if elected.

Question 26

What did Wilson and Abrahams find in their research on whether or not crime pays for high-rate burglars?

A) High-rate burglars "earn" over $100,000 per year.
B) High-rate burglars "earn" more that drug traffickers.
C) High-rate burglars "earn" about the same as they would earn if they held a job.
D) High-rate burglars' "earnings" are fictitious because everyone knows that you can't make a living in burglary.

Question 27

What did Wilson and Abrahams find in their research on mid-rate burglars?

A) Because mid-rate burglars spend less time imprisoned, they make about the same amount annually as high-rate burglars.
B) High-rate burglars actually "earn" far less than mid-rate burglars.
C) Mid-rate burglars "earn" about the same as they would if they held a job.
D) Mid-rate burglars only "earned" about one-third of the amount they would earn if they held a job.

Question 28

About what percent of burglaries result in arrest?

A) 1
B) 4
C) 7
D) 10

Question 29

What is the most common reason criminals choose crime despite its low payout?

A) They generally have families, bills, and drug habits to care for.
B) It satisfies their biological and psychological needs for thrills.
C) Their low intelligence prohibits them from accurately calculating their potential earnings.
D) Criminals tend to overestimate the potential money they earn from crime and underestimate risk of apprehension.

Question 30

In what province did three young men murder three restaurant patrons after grossly overestimating the amount of money they could get from robbing a McDonalds?

A) Manitoba
B) Ontario
C) Nova Scotia
D) British Columbia

Question 31

According to the rational choice approach, what factors does an offender consider before committing law-violating behaviour?

A) experiential and exponential
B) personal and situational
C) background and guardian
D) physical and emotional

Question 32

According to the rational choice approach, which type of factor is being considered when an offender decides to commit a crime because a desire for money?

A) personal
B) psychological
C) situational
D) emotional

Question 33

According to the rational choice approach, which type of factor is being considered when an offender decides to commit a crime because their target is poorly protected?

A) personal
B) psychological
C) situational
D) physical

Question 34

What does the term "offence specific" mean?

A) Offenders will react selectively to the characteristics of particular offences.
B) Criminals are born, not made.
C) Offenders analyze whether they have the necessary skills, motives, and capabilities for committing a criminal act.
D) The crime is what attracts the offender, not the opportunity to commit it.

Question 35

Which of the following statements best exemplifies an offence-specific crime?

A) A bank robber practices high-speed driving at a race track to improve his chances of getting away from his next job.
B) A drug dealer takes an accounting class to better manage his cash flow.
C) A burglar assesses what his mother would say if she learned about his activities.
D) A drug dealer observes an area to see if there is too much police presence to conduct his business.

Question 36

Which theory is "offence-specific crime" most often associated with?

A) routine activities
B) classical criminology
C) utilitarianism
D) general deterrence

Question 37

Complete the analogy: Offence-specific crime is to availability as offender-specific crime is to ___________?

A) target hardening
B) skills
C) psychology
D) deterrence

Question 38

Which of the following is the best definition of "offender-specific" crime?

A) Offenders will react selectively to the characteristics of particular offences.
B) Criminals are born, not made.
C) Offenders analyze whether they have the necessary skills, motives, and capabilities for committing a criminal act.
D) The crime is what attracts the offender, not the opportunity to commit it.

Question 39

What is the distinction between crime and criminality?

A) Crime is a necessary, but not sufficient, result of criminality.
B) Criminality is a predisposition whereas crime is a functional condition.
C) Crime is an event whereas criminality is a personal trait.
D) Crime is a situation whereas criminality is a condition.

Question 40

Offenders often desist from crime because they perceive their future criminal earnings will be relatively low, or because other legal income-generating opportunities are available. What is this an example of?

A) that making a rational choice mostly involves economic considerations
B) that offenders don't think rationally, since all crime pays little
C) that making a rational choice is based on conventional alternatives and opportunities
D) that money is always the reason people decide to commit crime

Question 41

Veteran criminals may turn from a life of crime when they develop a belief that the risks are greater than the potential profit. What does this indicate?

A) The older the criminals, the wiser they become.
B) Veteran criminals have more self-control than younger criminals.
C) As criminals age, they buy into the social norms and values held by the rest of society, and conform.
D) Learning and experience may be important elements in the choice of crime.

Question 42

According to Robert Agnew, which trait are people who choose crime over conformity likely to have?

A) larger heads
B) fewer children over their lifetime
C) less self-control
D) lower math abilities

Question 43

Why would a rational burglar avoid selecting a freestanding building as a crime target?

A) The building can be easily surrounded by police.
B) There are no other easily accessible targets.
C) Burglars usually do burgle cash businesses.
D) Burglars can be spotted too easily by surveillance cameras.

Question 44

Why do burglars prefer committing crime during the hours they do?

A) Police patrols are not at full strength.
B) Residents are either working or dropping kids off at school.
C) Houses are usually filled with people.
D) Few crimes are committed during the day and burglars can catch people by surprise.

Question 45

If the routine activities theory provides a macro view of crime, what type of view does the rational choice theory provide?

A) macro
B) offender
C) micro
D) victim

Question 46

Which term best describes a criminology theory that focuses on large structural factors influencing crime and criminality?

A) macro
B) obtuse
C) rational
D) micro

Question 47

Which term best describes a criminology theory that focuses on an individual's decisions about whether or not to commit crime?

A) macro
B) holistic
C) micro
D) personality

Question 48

What is a similarity between the routine activities theory and the rational approach to crime?

A) Both imply that crime rates are a product of criminal opportunity.
B) Both explain criminal motivation in terms of opportunity.
C) Both were discovered and developed by Cesare Beccaria.
D) Both encourage deterrent policies.

Question 49

According to target vulnerability, if you were going to buy one of the following houses, which one would you avoid buying?

A) one in the middle of a block
B) one across from a school or police station
C) one on the corner of the block by stop signs
D) one in an affluent neighbourhood

Question 50

Why are criminals unlikely to travel long distances to commit crimes?

A) They want familiarity with the area for escape routes.
B) They do not want to arouse suspicion.
C) They often don't have the means to travel.
D) They are dependent on local criminal peers for support.

Question 51

According to Garland White, what are permeable neighbourhoods?

A) neighbourhoods that are solid and have not changed much over time
B) neighbourhoods that have large numbers of immigrant populations
C) neighbourhoods that are relatively ethnically homogeneous
D) neighbourhoods that have a large number of access streets from traffic arteries

Question 52

Building gated communities can be seen as a response to crimes occurring in what type of community?

A) permeable
B) urban
C) rural
D) monoculture

Question 53

According to victimization surveys, what data could be used to show that criminals are rational?

A) Males are more likely to become violent crime victims.
B) Most victimization takes place in large urban areas.
C) There are patterns in choosing to burglarize certain households.
D) Most victims do not report crime to the police.

Question 54

What component of the routine activities theory are nosy neighbours an example of?

A) motivated offender
B) suitable target
C) capable guardianship
D) location convergence

Question 55

According to the routine activities theory, what are teenage males, drug users, and unemployed adults?

A) capable guardians
B) suitable targets
C) motivated criminals
D) interactive agents

Question 56

Why did respondents to Kenneth Tunnell's research say they committed crime?

A) They lacked education and couldn't get a legitimate job.
B) They were abused as children.
C) They always had a knack for crime.
D) They lived in neighbourhoods that promoted crime.

Question 57

According to the routine activities approach, which statement best describes motivation, opportunity, and targets?

A) They can each trigger criminal activity on their own, and so are unrelated.
B) They are interactive agents; therefore, the presence of any one factor encourages the others.
C) They are important only if the offender first has a criminogenic personality.
D) They are considered only if the crime is a street crime.

Question 58

Which theory is the term "interactive effects" most closely associated with?

A) rational choice
B) routine activities
C) social conflict
D) trait

Question 59

An intervention program is set up to help prevent further offending by young people. What level of prevention is this an example of?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) last resort

Question 60

Arnold, Riley, and Jasmine are neighbours concerned about an increase in crime in their neighbourhood. They decide to form a Neighbourhood Watch program. Which level of prevention would their program address?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) motivational

Question 61

Jorge and Melinda want to reduce drunk driving in their community through a primary crime prevention program. Which program is an example of a primary prevention program?

A) Mothers Against Drunk Driving
B) random DUI checkpoints
C) community education programs
D) community service for those convicted of a DUI

Question 62

A school starts an intervention program to assess the early warning signs of potentially violent children. Which level of prevention is this an example of?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) intermediary

Question 63

What statistical tool is used to discover patterns in the social and natural world and is also used in criminology to enable police to understand the "hot spots" of crime?

A) statistical patterning
B) crime ranging
C) mapping
D) ANOVA testing

Question 64

What does research on automobile thieves demonstrate about target selection?

A) Because of their faulty reputation, Fords are almost never stolen.
B) Auto theft is more likely to be a product of random acts of criminal opportunity.
C) Vehicle selection is more likely to be based on the colour of the car.
D) Selection is based on suitability, such as a need for parts.

Question 65

What did Lisa Maher's interviews with street-level sex workers in Brooklyn, NY show?

A) Prices for sexual services are increasing because there is a high demand for sexual favours.
B) Prices for sexual services are declining and competition is increasing.
C) Women prostitutes are willing to please the john without a condom.
D) Women prostitutes are making more money than they used to from their pimps.

Question 66

Some jurisdictions require men who have been caught exchanging sex for money to go to a special school after conviction to learn more about the hidden exploitations of prostitution. What is this school unofficially called?

A) prostitution school
B) john school
C) solicitation 101
D) shame and blame

Question 67

What did Morgan and Joe discover about female drug dealers?

A) They were forced into the job by older male siblings or a boyfriend.
B) They were attacked violently during drug exchanges.
C) They were very independent and professionally proud of themselves.
D) They were also prostitutes.

Question 68

What type of crime are drug dealing and burglary examples of?

A) instrumental
B) expressive
C) crimes of displacement
D) spontaneous

Question 69

Which statement is best supported by the finding that violent felons tend to avoid certain victims?

A) Criminals are predators.
B) Expressive violent acts are random events.
C) Violent acts involve a calculation of risk and reward.
D) Violent felons are irrational.

Question 70

John is talking to a woman at his local pub when another man comes up and tells the woman not to bother talking to John because he's a loser. John responds by punching the man in the face. Everyone in the pub laughs, and the man scampers away. John feels tough and strong, and considers that he may respond like that more often when challenged. What term best describes what John is experiencing?

A) rewards of deviance
B) Lex Luthor syndrome
C) seductions of crime
D) morality of immorality

Question 71

Why does Katz believe people will most likely be seduced by crime?

A) because they fear losing respect of peers and family
B) because they do not fear the risk of apprehension or social consequences of a crime
C) because the crime promises to yield a lot of money
D) because a partner convinces them to participate in the criminal actions

Question 72

John is an executive at a bank. He falsifies documents on a home loan agreement for his brother. When caught and convicted the judge orders him to pay the equivalent of two years' salary as a fine. What type of deterrence would this be?

A) situational
B) general
C) specific
D) incapacitation

Question 73

Complete the analogy: potential criminals are to general deterrence as known criminals are to _____________?

A) specific deterrence
B) situational crime prevention
C) operational deterrence
D) incapacitation

Question 74

Who coined the term "defensible space"?

A) C. Ray Jeffery
B) Ronald Clarke
C) Oscar Newman
D) Marcus Felson

Question 75

Which of the following is an example of a "defensible space" approach to crime reduction?

A) forming a neighbourhood watch group to conduct regular patrols of an area
B) allowing individuals to carry concealed weapons within 150 m of their home
C) designing new apartment buildings with better outside lighting and secure entry-ways
D) encouraging young people to have a sense of community

Question 76

The concept of "defensible space" was an early iteration of which term?

A) crime prevention through environmental design
B) closed circuit television
C) controlling environmental irritants
D) specific deterrence

Question 77

Which principle of crime prevention is "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" a part of?

A) social
B) architectural
C) situational
D) cartography

Question 78

What does CPTED stand for?

A) Combating Perpetrators Through Engineering Defense
B) Controlled Policing Triggering Extra Discipline
C) Correctional Practices Targeting Emerging Delinquents
D) Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Question 79

The mayor of a medium-sized city announces that all public schools will release students at 3:00 pm every day, no exceptions. What category does this crime prevention strategy belong to?

A) situational crime prevention
B) general deterrence
C) specific deterrence
D) selective incapacitation

Question 80

The local shopping mall announces that youth under the age of 17 will not be allowed in the mall without a parent or guardian during the hours of 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. What category does this crime prevention strategy belong to?

A) situational crime prevention
B) general deterrence
C) specific deterrence
D) selective incapacitation