Deck 5: Developmental Views of Delinquency: Life Course and Latent Trait

Question 1

The Gluecks' research focused on _______________________ as a harbinger of a delinquent career.

A)early onset of delinquency
B)poor academic achievement
C)parental alcohol and drug use
D)living in a poor community

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements about latent trait theory is false?

A)People do not change, criminal opportunities change
B)Early social control and proper parenting can reduce criminal propensity
C)Unchanging personal factors are more important determinants of behavior
D)Nurture not nature determines one's propensity to crime

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following choices best describes the authority conflict pathway?

A)begins at an early age with stubborn behavior leading to defiance and to authority avoidance
B)begins with minor, underhanded behavior that leads to property damage and eventually escalates to more serious forms of criminality
C)begins with aggression, leading to physical fighting and then to violence
D)begins with drug use and de-escalates to status offenses

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A cornerstone of age-graded theory is the influence of _______________ on behavior.

A)personality traits
B)social capital
C)pseudomaturity
D)chemical imbalances

Question 5

By following two matched samples of delinquents and nondelinquents until they reached age sixty-five, Laub and Sampson found that _____________ delinquents died of unnatural causes compared to the nondelinquent subjects.

A)less
B)more
C)fewer
D)the same number

Question 6

Contemporary developmental research was inspired by the research efforts of Harvard's ______________________ in the 1930s.

A)Shaw and McKay
B)Donald Sutherland
C)Glueck and Glueck
D)Bartols and James

Question 7

The _________________________ holds that commitment and attachment to conventional institutions, activities, and beliefs insulate youths from the delinquency-producing influences in their environment; children who cannot form prosocial bonds in their family are at risk for being exposed to deviant attitudes and behaviors.

A)differential social control theory
B)interactional theory
C)social development model
D)general theory of crime

Question 8

Which of the following choices best describes the overt pathway?

A)begins at an early age with stubborn behavior leading to defiance and to authority avoidance
B)begins with minor, underhanded behavior that leads to property damage and eventually escalates to more serious forms of criminality
C)escalates to aggressive acts beginning with aggression, leading to physical fighting and then to violence
D)begins with drug use and de-escalates to status offenses

Question 9

Which of the following pathways describes a situation where a delinquent career begins with minor, underhanded behavior and eventually escalates into more serious criminality?

A)authority conflict pathway
B)covert pathway
C)overt pathway
D)geometric pathway

Question 10

Which of the following theories attributes delinquent behavior patterns to childhood socialization and pro- or antisocial attachments over the life course?

A)differential association theory
B)social development model
C)general strain theory
D)age-graded theory

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the onset of crime according to interactional theory?

A)traced to a deterioration of the social bonds during adolescence
B)traced to the presence of a latent trait which activates during middle school
C)traced to modeling antisocial behavior performed by significant others
D)traced to a failure of formal social control to deter potential offenders

Question 12

Which of the following choices best describes the covert pathway?

A)begins at an early age with stubborn behavior leading to defiance and to authority avoidance
B)begins with minor, underhanded behavior that leads to property damage and eventually escalates to more serious forms of criminality
C)begins with aggression, leading to physical fighting and then to violence
D)begins with drug use and de-escalates to status offenses

Question 13

The _____________ pathway escalates to aggressive acts beginning with aggression, leading to physical fighting and then to violence.

A)covert
B)overt
C)authority conflict
D)revert

Question 14

Moffitt's concept of _______________________ describes a situation where anti-social behavior peaks in adolescence and then diminishes for most offenders.

A)juvenile dependence offenders
B)adolescent psychotics
C)life course persisters teen sprees
D)adolescent-limited offenders

Question 15

______________________ refers to a cluster of antisocial behaviors which include family dysfunction, substance abuse, smoking, precocious sexuality and early pregnancy.

A)Problem behavior syndrome
B)Minimal brain dysfunction
C)Social anxiety disorder
D)Antisocial personality

Question 16

The _______________, identified by Loeber and his associates, begins at an early age with stubborn behavior; it leads to defiance and then to authority avoidance.

A)authority conflict pathway
B)covert pathway
C)overt pathway
D)geometric pathway

Question 17

Which of the following choices best describes pseudomaturity?

A)youths who seem to mature faster and engage in early sexuality and drug use
B)youths who have advanced cognitive abilities for their chronological age
C)youths who take on more adult responsibilities at home
D)youths who have anxiety about issues normally faced by adults, not by youths

Question 18

Which of the following is identified as the two critical turning points according to Sampson and Laub?

A)first romantic encounter and first job
B)graduating high school and getting fired
C)graduating high school and one's first job
D)marriage and career

Question 19

Moffitt's concept of ____________________ offenders describes a situation where chronic juvenile offenders' criminal careers extend into adulthood.

A)adolescent-limited
B)life course persisters
C)overt pathway
D)authority conflict pathway

Question 20

According to development theory, the best predictor of future criminality is:

A)body type and personality
B)grades in high school
C)parenting style
D)past criminality

Question 21

According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, individuals who are impulsive, insensitive, physical, risk takers, short sighted, and nonverbal are said to have:

A)low self-control
B)sociopathic personality
C)hedonistic psychopathy
D)an unusual medulla oblongata

Question 22

The Gluecks' research concluded that the adolescent raised in a large, single parent family of limited economic means and educational achievement was the most vulnerable to delinquency.

Question 23

In Laub and Sampson's follow up of the Glueck study, when participants in their 60s and 70s were asked what the most important element for going straight was, they replied:

A)it was pretty hard getting up in the morning after having a few cold ones
B)the "knifing off" of individuals from their immediate environment
C)landing a big job with a defense contractor
D)I just can't sneak into the second floor windows like I used to

Question 24

Being _________________ is not a sign that a person has low self-control.

A)insensitive
B)shortsighted
C)nonverbal
D)diligent

Question 25

____________________ contends that one's propensity for crime remains stable throughout the life course, but the opportunities for crime fluctuate over time.

A)Latent trait view
B)Life course view
C)Social control perspective
D)Trajectory theory

Question 26

An adolescent-limited offender is one of the small group of offenders whose delinquent career continues well into adulthood.

Question 27

The __________________ is a developmental theory that modifies social control theory by integrating concepts from biosocial, psychological, routine activities, and rational choice theories.

A)comprehensive theory of crime
B)general developmental theory
C)general theory of crime
D)complete theory of crime

Question 28

Policy-based initiatives based on premises of ___________________ theory typically feature multisystematic treatment efforts designed to provide at-risk kids with personal, social, education, and family services.

A)developmental
B)latent trait
C)general strain
D)differential association

Question 29

The latent trait theory is a developmental theory that focuses on changes in behavior as people travel along the path of life and how these changes affect crime and delinquency.

Question 30

Latent trait theories assume a physical or psychological trait makes some people delinquency-prone.

Question 31

Burt and her associates found that kids whose parents improved their parenting skills over time experienced an increase in self-control and a subsequent:

A)increase in delinquent propensity
B)decrease in the level of their delinquent activities
C)decline in symptoms from a diagnosed personality disorder
D)increase in the level of their delinquent activities

Question 32

Which of the following behaviors would a person with low self-control not be likely to exhibit?

A)drink alcohol
B)watch television all day
C)skip school
D)volunteer in a nursing home

Question 33

The life course perspective contends that disruptions in life's major transitions can be destructive and ultimately can promote criminality.

Question 34

Loeber's research indicates that people follow one pathway to crime.

Question 35

The authority conflict pathway, identified by Loeber and his associates, begins at an early age with stubborn behavior; it leads to defiance and then to authority avoidance.

Question 36

Problem behavior syndrome advocates believe that delinquency is but one of several social problems experienced by at risk youths.

Question 37

A life course persister is an offender who follows the most common delinquent trajectory, in which antisocial behavior peaks in adolescence and then diminishes.

Question 38

Pseudomaturity is characteristic of life course persisters who tend to engage in early sexuality and drug use.

Question 39

The Boys and Girls Clubs include a school component called SMART, which is designed to:

A)reduce specific risk factors in the children's school, family, community, and personal environments
B)increase the children's mastery of particular academic skills
C)improve parental competence in specific academic subjects
D)reduce the family's involvement with academic matters such as helping their kids with homework

Question 40

A person with high self control is not likely to:

A)study martial arts
B)compare colleges to attend
C)use inhalants and smoke pot
D)tutor fellow students

Question 41

The ______________________, identified by Loeber and his associates, begins at an early age with stubborn behavior; it leads to defiance and then to authority avoidance.

Question 42

_______________________ 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.

Question 43

______________________ refers to the view that kids who begin engaging in antisocial behaviors at a very early age are the ones most at risk for a delinquency career.

Question 44

Using subjects in New Zealand, Wright and associates found that low self-control in childhood predicts disrupted social bonds and delinquent offending later in life.

Question 45

According to psychologist Terrie Moffitt, ____________________ exhibit early onset of delinquency that persists into adulthood.

Question 46

Interactional theory is a developmental theory that attributes delinquent behavior patterns to childhood socialization and pro- or antisocial attachments over the life course.

Question 47

According to psychologist Terrie Moffitt, _____________________ offenders begin offending late and age out of delinquency.

Question 48

Building social capital improves the chances for economic success, building social capital supports conventional behavior and inhibits deviant behavior.

Question 49

___________________ is characteristic of life course persisters, who tend to engage in early sexuality and drug use.

Question 50

Developmental theorists believe that crime is but one of a group of antisocial behaviors that, clustered together, are known as ______________________.

Question 51

The _________________ theory of crime looks at the onset, continuity, and termination of a delinquent career.

Question 52

According to interactional theory, weak bonds lead kids to acquire deviant peer relations and engage in delinquency; delinquency weakens conventional bonds and strengthens relations with deviant peers.

Question 53

According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, because those with low self-control can delay gratification, they are less likely to enjoy delinquent acts.

Question 54

Research shows that children who are raised in two-parent families are less likely to grow up to have happier marriages than children whose parents were divorced or never married.

Question 55

The covert pathway describes a situation where a delinquent career begins with minor, underhanded behavior and eventually escalates into more serious criminality.

Question 56

___________________ theory suggests that delinquent behavior is a dynamic process, influenced by individual characteristics as well as social experiences.

Question 57

Latent trait theories assume that an individual's behavior is linked less to personal change than to changes in the surrounding world.

Question 58

The social development model contends that an impulsive personality is the key to delinquency.

Question 59

The _______________ pathway identified by Loeber's research describes a situation where a delinquent career begins with minor, underhanded behavior and eventually escalates into more serious criminality.

Question 60

According to age-graded theory, building social capital and strong social bonds reduces the likelihood of long-term deviance; as people go through their life course the factors that influence their behavior undergo change.

Question 61

Someone that is _______________ lacks in thought or deliberation in decision making.

Question 62

People build ________________ which are positive relations with individuals and institutions that are life sustaining.

Question 63

The _________________________ model is a developmental theory that attributes delinquent behavior patterns to childhood socialization and pro- or antisocial attachments over the life course.

Question 64

Describe the problem behavior syndrome (PBS) and identify the behaviors associated with this concept presented in your text.

Question 65

________________ theory is a developmental theory that attributes delinquent trajectories to mutual reinforcement between delinquents and significant others over the life course.

Question 66

List and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the general theory of crime presented in your text.

Question 67

Compare and contrast authority conflict, covert, and overt pathways to a delinquent career. Provide examples of each.

Question 68

Briefly describe the general theory of crime. Be sure to discuss how this theory is supported and how it is criticized.

Question 69

The _______________ pathway to a delinquent career that begins with minor aggression, leads to physical fighting, and eventually escalates to violent delinquency.

Question 70

Gottfredson and Hirschi attribute low self-control to inadequate ______________ practices.

Question 71

Identify and compare the two types of developmental theories discussed in the text.

Question 72

Gottfredson and Hirschi attribute propensity to commit crimes to an adolescent's level of __________________.

Question 73

The two key turning points in life identified by Sampson and Laub are marriage and ________________.

Question 74

According to __________________ theory, building social capital and strong social bonds reduces the likelihood of long-term deviance.

Question 75

The ________________ view is that a delinquent career must be understood as a passage along which people travel, that it has a beginning and an end, and that events and life circumstances influence the journey.