Test Bank for Criminology-The Essentials 5th Edition by Walsh, Jorgensen
ISBN: 9781071955055
Criminology-The Essentials (5th)
ISBN 9781071955055 | Chapter 1: An Overview of Crime and Criminology
Total Questions: 80
Easy
Multiple Choice (23)
Q1. [Multiple Choice]
A trial by a jury of one’s peers is a(n) ______ right.
a) Fourth Amendment
b) Fifth Amendment
c) Sixth Amendment ✓ correct
d) Eighth Amendment
Q2. [Multiple Choice]
A(n) ______ is a set of logically interconnected propositions explaining how phenomena are related.
a) theory ✓ correct
b) hypothesis
c) ideology
d) policy
Q3. [Multiple Choice]
Cesare Lombroso’s concept of the born criminal is also known as his theory of ______.
a) atavism ✓ correct
b) ideal types
c) phrenology
d) somatotypes
Q4. [Multiple Choice]
Crimes that are time and culture bound are referred to as ______.
a) mala in se
b) mala prohibita ✓ correct
c) actus reus
d) mens rea
Q5. [Multiple Choice]
Criminologists use what is known as the ______ to try to answer the questions they ask rather than simply philosophize about them.
a) scientific procedure
b) scientific method ✓ correct
c) technique of natural science
d) observational analysis
Q6. [Multiple Choice]
During the Progressive Era, ______ became the primary disciplinary home of criminology.
a) biology
b) psychology
c) sociology ✓ correct
d) theology
Q7. [Multiple Choice]
In which case did the Supreme Court invalidate anti flag burning statutes as unconstitutional?
a) Texas v. Johnson ✓ correct
b) Lawrence v. Texas
c) Bowers v. Hardwick
d) Mapp v. Ohio
Q8. [Multiple Choice]
Lombroso’s theory of the born criminal was aligned with which school of thought?
a) biosocial
b) classical
c) positivist ✓ correct
d) psychological
Q9. [Multiple Choice]
One concept that John Hagan examined in an effort to distinguish between “real” crimes and “socially constructed” arbitrary crimes was the degree of public agreement on the seriousness of an act, also known as ______.
a) consensus ✓ correct
b) harm
c) severity
d) effectiveness
Q10. [Multiple Choice]
The ______ school of thought emphasizes human rationality and free will in its explanations of criminal behavior.
a) biosocial
b) classical ✓ correct
c) positivist
d) psychological
Q11. [Multiple Choice]
The degree of public agreement on the seriousness of an act is referred to as ______.
a) severity
b) harm
c) consensus ✓ correct
d) swiftness
Q12. [Multiple Choice]
Universally condemned crimes are known as ______.
a) mala in se ✓ correct
b) mala prohibita
c) actus reus
d) mens rea
Q13. [Multiple Choice]
When criminologists study ______, they study individuals who commit harmful acts, regardless of the legal status of those acts.
a) crime
b) criminology
c) criminality ✓ correct
d) law
Q14. [Multiple Choice]
Which is an intentional act in violation of commission or omission contrary to the law and is a property of society?
a) criminality
b) crime ✓ correct
c) criminology
d) deviance
Q15. [Multiple Choice] ______ are specific statements about the relationships that we expect to find between and among factors.
a) Theories
b) Hypotheses ✓ correct
c) Educated guesses
d) Formulations
Q16. [Multiple Choice] ______ criminologists tend to believe that the only real cause of crime is capitalism.
a) Atavist
b) Marxist ✓ correct
c) Positivist
d) Classical
Q17. [Multiple Choice] ______ is a trait that lies on a continuum ranging from saint to sociopath and is composed of a mixture of other traits, such as low empathy, impulsiveness, etc.
a) Criminality ✓ correct
b) Crime
c) Criminal justice
d) Criminology
Q18. [Multiple Choice] ______ is a way of looking at the world, a general emotional picture of how things should be.
a) Theory
b) Ideology ✓ correct
c) Vision
d) Analysis
Q19. [Multiple Choice] ______ is an interdisciplinary science that gathers and analyzes data on crime and criminal behavior.
a) Criminology ✓ correct
b) Theory
c) Sociology
d) Law
Q20. [Multiple Choice] ______ is concerned with how the criminal justice system investigates, prosecutes, and controls/supervises individuals who have committed crimes.
a) Criminology
b) Criminal justice ✓ correct
c) Crime
d) Criminality
Q21. [Multiple Choice]
______ refers to the necessity to establish a causal link between the criminal act and the harm suffered.
a) Correlation
b) Causation ✓ correct
c) Concurrence
d) Concreteness
Q22. [Multiple Choice]
______ refers to the principle that a person must commit some forbidden act or neglect some mandatory act before they can be subjected to criminal sanctions.
a) Actus reus ✓ correct
b) Mens rea
c) Mala in se
d) Corpus delicti
Q23. [Multiple Choice]
______ refers to whether the suspect had a wrongful purpose in mind when carrying out the criminal act.
a) Mala prohibita
b) Mens rea ✓ correct
c) Mala in se
d) Corpus delicti
True/False (10)
Q24. [True/False]
A correlate is that segment of the phenomenon of interest that is measured and analyzed.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q25. [True/False]
A hypothesis is best described as a set of interconnected propositions that explain how phenomena are related.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q26. [True/False]
Concurrencemeans that the act (actus reus) and the mental state (mens rea) concur in the sense that the criminal intention actuates the criminal act.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q27. [True/False]
Criminality is an identifiable trait that some people possess, and others do not.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q28. [True/False]
Criminality is the scientific study of crime and criminals.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q29. [True/False]
Criminology is an interdisciplinary field.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q30. [True/False]
Criminology is concerned with how the criminal justice system investigates, prosecutes, and controls/supervises individuals who have committed crimes.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q31. [True/False]
Private wrongs are socially harmful, but not sufficiently so to require the heavy hand of the criminal law.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q32. [True/False]
The constrained vision maintains that there is an innate human nature that is self centered and largely unalterable.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q33. [True/False]
The criteria for judging the merits of a theory include predictive accuracy, predictive scope, simplicity, and falsifiability.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Medium
Multiple Choice (19)
Q34. [Multiple Choice]
According to Thomas Sowell’s typology, those who have a(n) ______ vision believe that human activities are restricted by an innate human nature that is self centered and largely unalterable.
a) classical
b) constrained ✓ correct
c) phrenological
d) unconstrained
Q35. [Multiple Choice]
According to Thomas Sowell’s typology, those who have a(n) ______ vision deny an innate human nature, viewing human activities as formed anew in each different culture.
a) classical
b) constrained
c) phrenological
d) unconstrained ✓ correct
Q36. [Multiple Choice]
In the eyes of the law, a person reneging on a contract is handled as a ______.
a) criminal violation
b) private wrong ✓ correct
c) social construction
d) socially harmful act
Q37. [Multiple Choice]
In which stage does the defendant first have the opportunity to respond to the charges against them?
a) the trial
b) the arrest
c) the arraignment ✓ correct
d) the preliminary hearing
Q38. [Multiple Choice]
Murder is an example of a(n) ______ crime.
a) mala in se ✓ correct
b) mala prohibita
c) actus reus
d) mens rea
Q39. [Multiple Choice]
Policy choices typically align with ______.
a) problems
b) solutions
c) values ✓ correct
d) ethics
Q40. [Multiple Choice]
President Johnson’s “war of poverty” can best be described as a ______.
a) policy that was well intended in theory but failed in practice ✓ correct
b) high profile example of successfully implemented policy
c) course of action designed to solve the poverty problem but in fact solved the crime problem
d) well thought out policy that successfully eradicated poverty
Q41. [Multiple Choice]
The belief that science can provide answers for everything is most characteristic of which school of thought?
a) ideological
b) positivist ✓ correct
c) progressive
d) renaissance
Q42. [Multiple Choice]
What is the first step in detecting causes of crime?
a) deriving a theory
b) testing a hypothesis
c) discovering correlates ✓ correct
d) determining the level of analysis
Q43. [Multiple Choice]
What is true of Tappan’s definition of crime?
a) It suggests that crime could never totally be eradicated.
b) It is a legal definition that reminds us that the state has the power to define an act as criminal. ✓ correct
c) This definition defines crime as both intentional and unintentional acts.
d) It lays out 10 specific acts that are defined to be crimes.
Q44. [Multiple Choice]
What is true of predictive scope?
a) It maintains that a theory has merit and is useful to the extent that it accurately predicts what is observed.
b) It presumes that if two competing theories are essentially equal in terms of the first two criteria, then the less complicated one is considered more “elegant.”
c) This idea asserts that a theory must have the quality of being falsifiable or disprovable.
d) Predictive scope refers to the range of the theory and thus the range of the hypotheses that can be derived from it. ✓ correct
Q45. [Multiple Choice]
What is true of socially harmful acts?
a) They are deemed to need regulation but not by the criminal law except under exceptional circumstances. ✓ correct
b) These acts are socially harmful, but not sufficiently so to require the heavy hand of the criminal law.
c) They are considered so socially harmful that they come under the purview of the criminal justice system.
d) Socially harmful acts include reneging on a contract.
Q46. [Multiple Choice]
What is true when two factors are correlates?
a) One of the factors causes changes to the other.
b) The two factors vary together. ✓ correct
c) They compose a theory of crime.
d) They have been socially constructed.
Q47. [Multiple Choice]
Which describes policy?
a) A set of logically interconnected propositions explaining how phenomena are related, and from which several hypotheses can be derived and tested.
b) The segment of the phenomenon of interest that is measured and analyzed.
c) A course of action designed to solve some problem that has been selected from among alternative courses of action. ✓ correct
d) An interdisciplinary science that gathers and analyzes data on crime and criminal behavior.
Q48. [Multiple Choice]
Which is considered a socially harmful act?
a) reneging on a contract
b) fraud
c) air pollution ✓ correct
d) burglary
Q49. [Multiple Choice]
Which is the goal of criminology?
a) understanding its subject matter and to determine how that understanding can benefit society ✓ correct
b) punishing criminals to the full extent of the law
c) investigating individuals who work in law enforcement
d) understanding the inner workings of the justice system
Q50. [Multiple Choice]
Which is true of the Renaissance period?
a) It was a period between approximately 1650 and 1800.
b) This period saw a change in thinking to a more human centered naturalism.
c) The Renaissance saw the harnessing of the forces of nature to build and operate machines.
d) It was associated with the bloom of scientific and rational thought. ✓ correct
Q51. [Multiple Choice]
Which takes place after the arrest?
a) preliminary hearing ✓ correct
b) probation
c) trial
d) arraignment
Q52. [Multiple Choice]
Which term refers to “body of the crime”?
a) actus reus
b) mens rea
c) mala in se
d) corpus delicti ✓ correct
True/False (15)
Q53. [True/False]
Crime is a socially constructed phenomenon that lacks any “real” objective essence and is defined into existence rather than discovered.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q54. [True/False]
Criminality is a legal term.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q55. [True/False]
Criminology and criminal justice are interchangeable terms that both focus on the science of criminal, delinquent, and general antisocial behavior.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q56. [True/False]
Mala in secrimes tend to arouse the most intense emotional responses because they trigger a sense of threat to our survival.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q57. [True/False]
Prostitution is an act that would be consideredmala in se
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q58. [True/False]
Questions of cause and effect should be answered at the same level of analysis at which they were posed.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q59. [True/False]
The 1990s and early 2000s witnessed a strong resurgence of biosocial theories, which view behavior as the result of biological factors interacting with the environments of the actors involved.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q60. [True/False]
The Enlightenment is associated with advances in mathematics, science, and the dignity and worth of the individual as exemplified by a concern for human rights.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q61. [True/False]
The Industrial Revolution brought with it more secular thinking regarding crime and criminality.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q62. [True/False]
The basic idea behind phrenology was that cognitive functions are localized in the brain, and that the parts regulating the most dominant functions were bigger than parts regulating the less dominant ones.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q63. [True/False]
The emotional pain and suffering experienced by crime victims is easy to quantify.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q64. [True/False]
The role of human judgment in determining what is categorized as crime renders the category arbitrary.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q65. [True/False]
The unconstrained vision denies the existence of an innate human nature, instead holding that human nature is formed anew in each different culture.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q66. [True/False]
To make a legal felony arrest the officer does not need to haveprobable cause.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q67. [True/False]
What constitutes a crime can be defined in and out of existence by courts and legislators.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Essay (6)
Q68. [Essay]
Briefly contrast the constrained vision of human nature with the unconstrained vision of human nature.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Those with a constrained vision of human nature see human activities as constrained by an innate human nature that is self-centered and largely unalterable. Those with an unconstrained vision view human nature as being formed anew in each different culture and perceive human nature to be perfectible.
Q69. [Essay]
Briefly explain the views of the classical school of criminology regarding explaining criminal behavior.
Suggested answer: Sample response: The classical school emphasized human rationality and free will in its explanations for criminal behavior.
Q70. [Essay]
Compare and contrast criminality and crime.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Crime and criminality sometimes mistakenly are used interchangeably. Crime is an intentional behavior that has been determined to be illegal or unlawful. Criminality is a scientific rather than legal term to refer to the characteristics of an individual that contribute to their willingness to engage in criminal behavior. So, a person’s criminality could potentially lead to their participation in a legally defined crime.
Q71. [Essay]
Define theory. Why are theories important in criminology?
Suggested answer: Sample response: A theory is a set of logically interconnected propositions explaining how phenomena are related and from which several hypotheses can be derived and tested. Theories help us make sense of seemingly unrelated facts and propositions.
Q72. [Essay]
Discuss the role of theory in criminology. What is a theory? What are the criteria for judging a theory? Do theories of crime provide the cause of criminal behavior?
Suggested answer: Sample response: A theory is an attempt to provide a logical explanation for something. This is not simply a guess or an opinion. A theory must be based on scientific properties to ensure it is credible and accurate. When we think about theories of crime, we attempt to explain why someone might engage in criminal behavior. And even when a theory is developed, we rarely will determine a “cause” to crime, but rather identify correlates or contributing factors to criminality.
Q73. [Essay]
Provide an overview of some of the major historical developments of criminological theory. Compare and contrast at least three of the main eras or schools of thought from the history of criminology.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Historically, beliefs about criminology have evolved and changed during different periods of time. Initially it was believed that crime was a result of demonic or supernatural beings. The Enlightenment brought about a new way of thinking in that individuals had free will to choose whether or not they participated in crime. The positive school approached crime from a scientific aspect. Thinkers during this time focused on the scientific process and although many practices were questionable, this paved the way for contemporary scientific examinations of crime.
Hard
Multiple Choice (3)
Q74. [Multiple Choice]
Driving 26 miles per hour in an area where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour would best be described as a(n) ______.
a) mala in seact
b) mala prohibitaact ✓ correct
c) act of overcriminalization
d) act of felonious proportions
Q75. [Multiple Choice]
Which is an example of a direct cost of crime?
a) protective devices including guns and security guards
b) insurance costs and medical services of incarcerated individuals
c) the expense of surveillance and security devices
d) the salaries and benefits of personnel ✓ correct
Q76. [Multiple Choice]
Which is an example of an indirect cost of crime?
a) maintenance costs of jails and prisons
b) salaries of law enforcement personnel
c) purchase of police cars
d) expense of private surveillance and security devices ✓ correct
Essay (4)
Q77. [Essay]
Comparemala inse andmala prohibitacrimes, and provide an example of each.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Mala in se crimes are considered inherently bad, while mala prohibita refers to crimes that are time and culture bound. An example of a mala in se crime would be murder, while an example of a mala prohibita crime would be prostitution.
Q78. [Essay]
Discuss crime as a moving target. Are laws stable across time and culture? Provide a contemporary example of a law that has changed in recent years.
Suggested answer: Sample response: As society evolves so do the laws and legislation regulating behaviors of its citizens. Laws tend to vary across time as well as culture. What is acceptable in one culture might not be in another. Therefore the “definition “of crime is varied as well. An example of this is the recreational use of marijuana laws that we have seen passed in many states. What once was an illegal drug has been decriminalized in many states. However, when we look at federal statutes, marijuana is still considered an illegal drug.
Q79. [Essay]
Explain the continuum of harmful acts, and provide an example of each type of harmful act.
Suggested answer: Sample response: In defining harmful acts there are many different types and categories of seriousness. First, are socially harmful acts that need regulation but not by criminal law. This would include things like air pollution and healthcare standards. Private wrongs are those that are typically regulated by civil law. These would be things like reneging on a contract. Finally, there are socially harmful acts that need regulation by criminal law. An example of this would be burglary, rape, and murder.
Q80. [Essay]
Provide two examples of direct and indirect costs of crime.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Direct costs include costs of running the criminal justice system (salaries and benefits of personnel, and the maintenance costs of buildings and equipment) and the costs associated with each crime. Indirect costs include all manner of surveillance and security devices, protective devices (guns, alarms, security guards) and insurance costs, medical services, and the productivity and taxes lost of incarcerated individuals.