Question 1

During the Age of Enlightenment, ______ replaced superstitious explanations for the causes of human behavior.
A) social events
B) positivism
C) sociology
D) metaphysics

Accepted Answer

During the Age of Enlightenment, positivism replaced superstititious explanations for the causes of human behavior, emphasizing empirical evidence and scientific method.

Question 2

What does positivism refer to?
A) the scientific approach to the study of physical and social event
B) the sociological perspective that everything should be interpreted optimistically
C) the religious position that all events happen according to a divine plan
D) the belief that everything can be studied as various parts of a whole

Accepted Answer

Positivism is a philosophical theory stating that certain ("positive") knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their properties and relations as verified by the empirical sciences. This approach emphasizes the importance of using scientific methods to study social and physical phenomena.

Question 3

Evidence-based behavior analysis is rooted in the ______.
A) sociology of knowledge
B) positivism
C) knowledge-based behavior analysis
D) scientific method

Accepted Answer

Evidence-based behavior analysis is fundamentally based on the scientific method, which involves systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Question 4

What term refers to an interrelated and interdependent proposition designed to predict a given phenomenon?
A) scientific theory
B) hypothesis
C) middle range theory
D) master conceptual scheme

Accepted Answer

A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is acquired through the scientific method and repeatedly tested and confirmed through observation and experimentation. It consists of interrelated and interdependent propositions designed to predict phenomena.

Question 5

Weight, sex, age, and height are all ______ because they are subject to change.
A) theories
B) propositions
C) variables
D) parsimonious

Accepted Answer

These are considered variables because they can vary or change from person to person or for the same person over time.

Question 6

When evaluating a theory, ______ refers to whether a theory has clearly stated propositions that agree with each other.
A) the scientific method
B) parsimony
C) logical consistency
D) scope

Accepted Answer

Logical consistency refers to the aspect of a theory where its propositions and assumptions do not contradict each other, ensuring that the theory is coherent and its conclusions follow logically from its premises.

Question 7

Simon wants to create theory that explains all forms of crime and deviance. His theory is so complicated it fills an entire series of books. This theory lacks ______.
A) positivism
B) parsimony
C) variables
D) scope

Accepted Answer

Parsimony refers to the simplicity of a theory, meaning it should be as simple as possible while still effectively explaining the phenomena in question. Simon's theory, being so complicated it fills an entire series of books, lacks parsimony.

Question 8

There are six criteria for assessing a scientific theory: parsimony, ______, logical consistency, testability, empirical validity, and usefulness/policy implications.
A) reliability
B) validity
C) simplicity
D) scope

Accepted Answer

Scope is the correct answer because it refers to the breadth of phenomena a theory can explain or predict, which is a key criterion for assessing the value and effectiveness of a scientific theory alongside parsimony, logical consistency, testability, empirical validity, and usefulness/policy implications.

Question 9

Stephen develops a theory that could explain the fundamental nature of the universe. The only problem is there is no way to empirically measure his variables. Therefore, the theory is not ______.
A) valid
B) parsimonious
C) testable
D) scaled

Accepted Answer

The theory is not testable because there is no way to empirically measure the variables, which is essential for testing a theory's predictions against observations or experiments.

Question 10

What school of thought were Beccaria and Bentham key figures in developing?
A) classical
B) societal reaction
C) labeling
D) control

Accepted Answer

Beccaria and Bentham were key figures in developing the classical school of thought, which emphasizes rationality, free will, and the importance of punishment fitting the crime.

Question 11

When deciding whether to shoplift the candy, Izzy bases her decision on the fact that she greatly desires the candy and does not think she is likely to get caught. This illustrates the ______ principal, because she is maximizing her pleasure and assuming there will be no consequences.
A) deterrence
B) hedonistic
C) avoidance
D) obviation

Accepted Answer

The hedonistic principle is based on seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Izzy's decision-making process, where she is motivated by the desire for the candy and the assumption of not facing any negative consequences, aligns with the pursuit of pleasure, which is central to hedonism.

Question 12

In the neoclassical school, the deterrence doctrine involves both ______ and ______.
A) hedonism; a cost-benefit analysis
B) rationality; parsimony
C) labels; punishments
D) stigma; reintegrative shaming

Accepted Answer

The deterrence doctrine in the neoclassical school involves the concept of hedonism, where individuals seek pleasure and avoid pain, and a cost-benefit analysis, where individuals weigh the potential benefits of a crime against the potential costs or punishments.

Question 13

What do rational choice theory and situational choice theory have in common?
A) They both emphasize the context in which decisions are made.
B) They both suggest that capital punishment is the most effective deterrent.
C) They both focus on an individual's conscious decision-making.
D) They both involve a belief in the essential goodness of individuals.

Accepted Answer

Both theories focus on the idea that individuals make conscious, rational decisions based on weighing costs and benefits.

Question 14

What is one possible criticism of routine activities theory?
A) It lacks useful policy implications.
B) It lacks logical consistency.
C) It de-emphasizes personal responsibility.
D) It blames the victim.

Accepted Answer

Routine activities theory can be criticized for blaming the victim because it focuses on the idea that crimes occur when a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian converge in space and time. This perspective can inadvertently shift some responsibility for the crime onto the victim for being an accessible target or for not having adequate protection.

Question 15

According to ______, crime is most likely when there is a suitable target, a motivated offender, and the lack of a capable guardian.
A) routine activities theory
B) situational choice theory
C) hedonistic calculus theory
D) control theory

Accepted Answer

Routine activities theory posits that crime occurs when a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian converge in space and time.

Question 16

What provides the foundation for the labeling perspective?
A) the classical school
B) the neoclassical school
C) symbolic interaction
D) social integration

Accepted Answer

The labeling perspective is grounded in symbolic interactionism, which is a sociological perspective focusing on the ways in which individuals interpret and give meaning to social interactions. This perspective emphasizes the significance of labels and the process of being labeled (e.g., as deviant) and how these labels affect individuals' self-identities and behaviors.

Question 17

Jack arrives at Daisy's house to pick her up. He does not know her father, but he decides her father thinks he is stupid. Jack begins to think of himself as stupid. What does this demonstrate?
A) reintegrative shaming
B) looking-glass self
C) stigma
D) techniques of neutralization

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the concept of the looking-glass self, a social psychological concept that suggests people shape their self-concepts based on their understanding of how others perceive them. Jack's belief that Daisy's father thinks he is stupid, and his subsequent self-perception as stupid, is a classic example of this theory in action.

Question 18

Sun's parents raise her firmly, but kindly. They listen to her, and she learns her words have value. They give her hugs, and she learns that they love her. George Herbert Mead would term Sun's ability to view herself from her parent's perspective as ______.
A) social integration
B) neoclassical
C) taking the role of the other
D) hedonistic calculus

Accepted Answer

George Herbert Mead's concept of "taking the role of the other" refers to the process by which an individual learns to understand themselves from the perspective of others, which is what Sun is doing by learning from her interactions with her parents.

Question 19

______ theory suggests that the process of becoming a deviant involves primary deviance and secondary deviance.
A) Labeling
B) Control
C) Routine activities
D) Self-derogation

Accepted Answer

Labeling theory posits that deviance is a process involving primary deviance (initial act of deviance) followed by secondary deviance, where an individual comes to accept a deviant identity due to societal reactions and labels.

Question 20

Morgan was caught shoplifting at a local store. Instead of pressing charges, the owner spoke with her parents and arranged for her to work at the store 4 hr a week. Because the store owner communicated his disapproval of Morgan's behavior, but provided her with the opportunity to improve, ______ has occurred.
A) reintegrative shaming
B) disintegrative shaming
C) secondary deviance
D) stigmatization

Accepted Answer

Reintegrative shaming involves expressing disapproval for the wrongdoing while also offering means to reintegrate the wrongdoer into the community, as seen in the store owner's actions towards Morgan.

Quiz 2: Theories of Deviant Behavior: I Classical Theories

During the Age of Enlightenment, ______ replaced superstitious explanations for the causes of human behavior.

What does positivism refer to?

Evidence-based behavior analysis is rooted in the ______.

What term refers to an interrelated and interdependent proposition designed to predict a given phenomenon?

Weight, sex, age, and height are all ______ because they are subject to change.

When evaluating a theory, ______ refers to whether a theory has clearly stated propositions that agree with each other.

Simon wants to create theory that explains all forms of crime and deviance. His theory is so complicated it fills an entire series of books. This theory lacks ______.

There are six criteria for assessing a scientific theory: parsimony, ______, logical consistency, testability, empirical validity, and usefulness/policy implications.

Stephen develops a theory that could explain the fundamental nature of the universe. The only problem is there is no way to empirically measure his variables. Therefore, the theory is not ______.

What school of thought were Beccaria and Bentham key figures in developing?

When deciding whether to shoplift the candy, Izzy bases her decision on the fact that she greatly desires the candy and does not think she is likely to get caught. This illustrates the ______ principal, because she is maximizing her pleasure and assuming there will be no consequences.

In the neoclassical school, the deterrence doctrine involves both and .

What do rational choice theory and situational choice theory have in common?

What is one possible criticism of routine activities theory?

According to ______, crime is most likely when there is a suitable target, a motivated offender, and the lack of a capable guardian.

What provides the foundation for the labeling perspective?

Jack arrives at Daisy's house to pick her up. He does not know her father, but he decides her father thinks he is stupid. Jack begins to think of himself as stupid. What does this demonstrate?

Sun's parents raise her firmly, but kindly. They listen to her, and she learns her words have value. They give her hugs, and she learns that they love her. George Herbert Mead would term Sun's ability to view herself from her parent's perspective as ______.

______ theory suggests that the process of becoming a deviant involves primary deviance and secondary deviance.