Criminology Exam 2 Quiz 6 Study for Tomorrow

Anomie theories focus on explaining which of the following?

How motive is derived from one's peer group.

How motive is derived from biological characteristics of individuals.

Why some societies have higher rates of crime than others.

Why some individuals commit more crime than others

Why some societies have higher rates of crime than others.

"In American society, crime is high, because the inability of large numbers of people to reach the goal of success causes norms to lose their power to regulate or control people's behaviors. People feel free to do whatever they want to reach their goals." What theoretical concept best describes this situation?

anomie

general strain

conformity

social learning

amonie

According to Albert Cohen's theory of status frustration, which of the following statements is true?

cohen argues that the need for status has deep biological roots in men, which is why their involvement is so much higher in crime than that of women; by nature, men are more likely to experience status frustration

even when frustrated, lower-class delinquents still continue to believe in middle-class values and to try to get good grades in school

status frustration is the main reason why delinquent subcultures arise in lower-class neighborhoods rather than in middle-class neighborhoods

unlike other strain theories, Cohen believed that kids of all classes suffered from status frustration, which is why kids of all social classes are equally delinquent

status frustration is the main reason why delinquent subcultures arise in lower-class neighborhoods rather than in middle-class neighborhoods

Which theory argues that the American Dream causes crime by placing such emphasis on money and economic achievement that it weakens the American family's ability to informally control delinquent behavior

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Agnew's general strain theory

Merton's anomie/strain theory

Cohen's status frustration theory

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

"John got into a fight because of all the strain he was feeling after he lost his job and his girlfriend broke up with him." What type of strain would Agnew say this is?

failure to achieve positively valued goals

removal of positively valued stimuli

presentation of negative stimuli

introduction of status frustration

removal of positively valued stimuli

Robert Merton believed that the United States has such a high crime rate because _____.

in the United States, there was a disjunction or gap between what many people were led to want—economic success—and what they had the means to achieve

delinquent subcultures were strong in the nation's inner cities and induced many youths to commit acts of violence

like the Philadelphia slum in which he grew up, there were many neighborhoods that were socially disorganized

the rise of broken homes in the United States has resulted in too many of the nation's children growing up without the love and supervision that they need to stay out of trouble

in the United States, there was a disjunction or gap between what many people were led to want—economic success—and what they had the means to achieve

According to Agnew's general strain theory, which of the following is true?

When under strain, people who feel anger are more likely to commit crime.

Research shows that strain is unrelated to crime.

There is little evidence that the loss of something you value causes crime.

Blocked opportunities is the only strain that causes crime.

When under strain, people who feel anger are more likely to commit crime.

According to Robert Merton's classic strain theory, which of the following adaptations to strain is most likely to be associated with property crime or drug dealing?

retreatism

ritualism

conformity

innovation

innovation

According to Robert Merton's classic strain theory, which of the following adaptations to strain is most likely to be associated with behaviors like drug addiction and vagrancy?

retreatism

innovation

rebellion

ritualism

retreativism

Merton's anomie theory suggests that when groups of people feel strain, that can lead to a high rate of crime as a result of the disconnect between _____.

parent and children

educational achievements and economic success

cultural goals related to monetary success and institutional norms of how people are to achieve that success

negative emotions and social institutions

cultural goals related to monetary success and institutional norms of how people are to achieve that success

From the perspective of Merton's anomie theory, what would be an example of "legitimate means" of achieving cultural goals?

unrestrained pursuit of money

formal education

individualism

strong family supervision

formal education

What is the concept that Agnew uses to describe events and conditions that are generally disliked by most people?

vicarious strains

general strains

subjective strains

objective strains

objective strains

What is the concept that Agnew uses to describe strains experienced by others around an individual, especially those with whom the individual has a close relationship?

vicarious strains

subjective strains

general strains

objective strains

vicarious strains

According to Agnew's strain theory, which of the following is true?

crime is especially likely when there is an institutional imbalance between the economy and other institutions (e.g., family, school, polity)

crime is more likely when experienced in conjunction with high social control

all strains result in crime

crime is especially likely when an individual experiences multiple strains close together in time

crime is especially likely when an individual experiences multiple strains close together in time

Suppose a researcher finds the following: Delinquency is higher among individuals experiencing a variety of negative life events and various relational problems. Which theory is most supported by such findings?

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Agnew's general strain theory

Cohen's status frustration theory

Merton's classic strain theory

Agnew's general strain theory

Suppose a researcher finds the following: Rates of crime are lower in countries with stronger families, schools, and political systems. Which theory is most supported by such findings?

Cohen's status frustration theory

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Merton's anomie theory

Agnew's general strain theory

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Suppose a researcher finds the following: Delinquency is higher among individuals experiencing a strain in the presence of negative emotionality and low constraint. Which theory is most supported by such findings?

Merton's classic strain theory

Agnew's general strain theory

Cohen's status frustration theory

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Agnew's general strain theory

According to Merton, the overwhelming goal in American society is _____.

monetary success

higher education

strong government

strong family

monetary success

Which of the following theories can best account for crime among kids from wealthy families?

Agnew's general strain theory

Cohen's status frustration theory

Merton's classic strain theory

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional-anomie theory

Agnew's general strain theory

According to Merton's classic strain theory, what is the most common adaptation to strain?

conformity

rebellion

innovation

ritualism

conformity