Test Bank for Introduction to Criminology 11th Edition by Hagan, Daigle
ISBN: 9781071904015
Introduction to Criminology (11th)
ISBN 9781071904015 | Chapter 1: Introduction to Criminology
Total Questions: 80 Easy
Multiple Choice (11)
Q1. [Multiple Choice]
The field that attempts to define, explain, and predict criminal behavior is known as ______.
a) criminalistics
b) applied criminology
c) criminology ✓ correct
d) theology
Q2. [Multiple Choice]
Criminology is generally defined as the science or discipline that studies ______ and criminal behavior.
a) crime ✓ correct
b) laws
c) politics
d) forensics
Q3. [Multiple Choice]
Geographically, where did criminology have its beginnings as a field of inquiry?
a) United States
b) Europe ✓ correct
c) Australia
d) South America
Q4. [Multiple Choice]
According to French sociologist Auguste Comte, the last stage of the progression of knowledge is ______.
a) theological
b) metaphysical
c) scientific ✓ correct
d) postmodernism
Q5. [Multiple Choice]
The early writings of ______, including his famous essay,On Crimes and Punishments, led to the reform of criminal law in Western Europe.
a) Auguste Comte
b) Emile Durkheim
c) Edwin Sutherland
d) Cesare Beccaria ✓ correct
Q6. [Multiple Choice]
Criminology had been considered a sub-discipline of ______ until about the 1960s.
a) biology
b) psychology
c) sociology ✓ correct
d) theology
Q7. [Multiple Choice]
Behavior that is outside the range of normal societal toleration is best described as ______.
a) criminal
b) deviant ✓ correct
c) felonious
d) mala in se
Q8. [Multiple Choice]
The least serious norms—those that refer to usages, traditions, customs, or niceties—are called ______.
a) values
b) laws
c) mores
d) folkways ✓ correct
Q9. [Multiple Choice]
Intended, planned, or anticipated consequences of introduced changes or of existing social arrangements are referred to as ______.
a) latent functions
b) manifest functions ✓ correct
c) mores
d) norms
Q10. [Multiple Choice]
Crimes that are considered less serious and are punished by less than a year in jail are known as ______.
a) felonies
b) misdemeanors ✓ correct
c) infractions
d) status offenses
Q11. [Multiple Choice]
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, as of 2008, the cost of crime is in the ______.
a) thousands
b) tens of thousands
c) millions
d) billions ✓ correct
True/False (6)
Q12. [True/False]
The fields of criminal justice and criminology are highly complementary and interrelated.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q13. [True/False]
The scientific orientation of the progression of knowledge uses supernatural or otherworldly bases for understanding reality.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q14. [True/False]
Criminologists define deviant behavior as “behavior which is in violation of written laws.”
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q15. [True/False]
Deviance refers to a broad range of activities that the majority in society may view as eccentric, dangerous, annoying, bizarre, outlandish, gross, abhorrent, etc.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q16. [True/False]
Folkways refer to serious customs that involve moral judgments as well as sanctions.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q17. [True/False]
Laws represent formal modes of control, codified rules of behavior.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Medium
Multiple Choice (24)
Q18. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following statements pertaining to the nature of criminology is true?
a) The field of criminology concentrates primarily on physical evidence of crime.
b) Related areas of inquiry in criminology may include juvenile delinquency and victimology. ✓ correct
c) Societal reaction to criminal activity is not a concern of criminologists.
d) Criminology is predominantly occupied with practical, applied concerns, such as technical aspects of policing and correction.
Q19. [Multiple Choice]
What discipline is most focused on criminal investigation and detective-like skill building?
a) sociology
b) criminal science
c) justice teaching
d) criminalistics ✓ correct
Q20. [Multiple Choice]
Overall, the relationship of time and place to crime is such that ______.
a) some crimes that have been popular become less so, and some crimes that haven’t been popular become more so ✓ correct
b) crime rates in the United States are on the increase, while globally they are down
c) crime rates globally are cyclical, while in the United States they have been steadily increasing
d) new crimes are invented seemingly almost daily, and older types of crimes retain their popularity
Q21. [Multiple Choice]
Which stage of the progression of knowledge is best described as the use of philosophy, rationality, and logical argument to explain crime?
a) theological
b) metaphysical ✓ correct
c) scientific
d) futuristic
Q22. [Multiple Choice]
Deviance could be considered as violating ______, which is something that all societies have.
a) reflexivity
b) public consensus
c) cultural values ✓ correct
d) institutional objectives
Q23. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following statements reflects the idea that deviant behavior is more of a social construction than something that is inherently wrong?
a) Definitions of deviance are relative to the time, place, and person(s) making the evaluation. ✓ correct
b) All societies have deviant behavior.
c) Laws are created to try and dissuade deviant behavior in most societies.
d) What is considered deviant by people does not vary in meaningful ways from society to society.
Q24. [Multiple Choice]
According to the text, mores are ______.
a) norms that are preferred, but carry no serious consequences if broken
b) the comprehensive set of morals in a given society
c) strong norms that carry sanctions/punishment if broken ✓ correct
d) always codified into law
Q25. [Multiple Choice]
Which of Sumner’s three types of norms is best represented as a formal mode of social control?
a) laws ✓ correct
b) rules
c) mores
d) folkways
Q26. [Multiple Choice] ______ involves the overextension of criminal law to cover acts that are inappropriately or not responsibly enforced by such measures.
a) Overcriminalization ✓ correct
b) Undercriminalization
c) Deviance
d) Prohibition
Q27. [Multiple Choice]
At their core, ______ are intended, planned, or anticipated consequences of a change to existing social arrangements.
a) social mores
b) manifest functions ✓ correct
c) latent functions
d) mass movements
Q28. [Multiple Choice]
As society becomes increasingly complex and heterogeneous, which of the following is typically true of society's efforts to maintain order?
a) Society becomes increasingly reliant on informal methods of social control.
b) Society becomes increasingly reliant on formal, codified laws. ✓ correct
c) Society becomes entirely reliant upon police and the criminal justice system.
d) Society becomes more reliant on religious organizations.
Q29. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is a central feature of laws?
a) Laws are the most efficient means of social control.
b) Laws define which behaviors classify as “deviant” in a given society.
c) Laws can be enforced by either political or moral authorities.
d) Laws become more common when informal methods of social control are weakened. ✓ correct
Q30. [Multiple Choice]
What did sociologist Émile Durkheim mean when he argued that crime is normal?
a) People who commit crimes should be viewed no differently within society than people who do not commit crimes.
b) Criminal labels are arbitrary and serve no function in society; thus, criminal law should be abolished.
c) Crime is actually a functional necessity in a healthy society. ✓ correct
d) Crime is so pervasive in society that it becomes normalized.
Q31. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following entail unintended or unanticipated consequences of social actions, which might have either positive or negative outcomes?
a) latent functions ✓ correct
b) manifest functions
c) mores
d) norms
Q32. [Multiple Choice]
The belief that criminal law originates from an agreement among members of society is consistent with the ______ perspective of crime.
a) consensus ✓ correct
b) conflict
c) interactionist
d) functionalist
Q33. [Multiple Choice]
The central concept behind the ______ school of thought related to crime suggests that humans respond to abstract meanings and symbols as well as to concrete meanings in their conceptualization of criminal behavior.
a) consensus
b) conflict
c) interactionist ✓ correct
d) functionalist
Q34. [Multiple Choice]
To meet the standard to be considered a crime, U.S. criminal law requires that ______ must have taken place, otherwise known as the act itself, or the physical element.
a) actus reus ✓ correct
b) mens rea
c) ex post facto
d) nullum crimen sine lege
Q35. [Multiple Choice]
A particular crime is punishable by five years in prison; this crime is most likely ______.
a) a misdemeanor
b) a felony ✓ correct
c) a folkway
d) mens rea
Q36. [Multiple Choice]
Why is it important to establishmens reain the U.S. criminal system?
a) Without it, one cannot state that the person performed an act intentionally with a “guilty mind.” ✓ correct
b) It is required to show that actual harm has been done to a certain victim.
c) Mens rearefers to the fact that the law was written before the supposed violation of the law.
d) Withoutmens rea, there is no connection from the offending act to directly caused harm.
Q37. [Multiple Choice]
A(n) ______ view of crime does not restrict its definition of criminality solely to those who have been convicted of criminal behavior, but instead also focuses on those who are not labeled as criminal but cause harm to others.
a) ontological
b) criminal justice
c) sociological ✓ correct
d) pseudoscientific
Q38. [Multiple Choice]
The central characteristics of ______ are that it is assumed by political authority, contains penal sanctions enforced by punishments administered by the state, and is uniformly applied.
a) civil law
b) criminal law ✓ correct
c) commonplace law
d) central law
Q39. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following statements regarding the crime problem is true?
a) Political regimes have rendered countries exempt from crime.
b) Lower levels of crime have become established as a reflux of affluence.
c) There has been an obvious increase in crime internationally since World War II. ✓ correct
d) It is easy to measure economic costs of crime.
Q40. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following crimes has been ranked as the criminal world’s greatest source of income?
a) human trafficking
b) sale of illegal weapons
c) sale of illegal narcotics ✓ correct
d) white-collar crime
Q41. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is a criticism of economic assessments of crime?
a) They do not take into account loss in productivity, medical and mental health care costs, and pain and suffering. ✓ correct
b) They focus predominantly on white collar offenders.
c) These costs are unchanging, and already well-understood by the criminal justice system.
d) Economic assessments only look at the cost of property crime, not violent crime.
True/False (9)
Q42. [True/False]
Criminology is currently a sub-discipline of sociology.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q43. [True/False]
Comte’s progression of knowledge consists of three stages: theological, metaphysical, and cultural.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct Correct answer: False
Q44. [True/False]
Most of the major developments in modern criminology took place in Europe.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q45. [True/False]
Gambling is an act that would be consideredmala prohibita
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q46. [True/False]
As society becomes more complex, it becomes increasingly reliant oninformalmethods of social control to maintain order.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q47. [True/False]
Latent functions entail unintended or unanticipated consequences, ones that may have either positive or negative outcomes.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q48. [True/False]
A purist legal view of crime would define it as violation of criminal law.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q49. [True/False]
The interactionist model of law says that crime is defined by abstract meanings and symbols and is a label assigned by society.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q50. [True/False]
For the most part, criminologists have a clear understanding of the economic, social, and psychological impacts of crime.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Essay (9)
Q51. [Essay]
In your view, is criminology a science? State your viewpoint and defend that perspective. Suggested answer: Sample response: In my view, criminology can be considered a science as it has evolved from sociology and engages in processes to advance our understandings of criminal behavior. Criminology is generally defined as the science or discipline that studies crime and criminal behavior. Specifically, the field of criminology concentrates on forms of criminal behavior, the causes of crime, the definition of criminality, and the societal reaction to criminal activity; related areas of inquiry may include juvenile delinquency and victimology (the study of victims). While there is considerable overlap between criminology and criminal justice, criminology shows a greater interest in the causal explanations of crime, whereas criminal justice is more occupied with practical, applied concerns, such as technical aspects of policing and corrections.
Q52. [Essay]
What are Comte’s three stages of knowledge, and why has modern criminology settled on the third perspective?
Suggested answer: Sample response: The three stages of knowledge according to Comte are theological, metaphysical, and scientific. Theological views of the world state that everything related to the world exists as it does because God has set it up that way. This evolved into metaphysical views of knowledge, which questioned this perspective and attempted to establish logic and reasoning as the ways to figure out how the world works. Finally, the third stage of knowledge is the scientific viewpoint. This is the most widely adopted and particularly important because it encourages the advancement of knowledge and the empirical testing of hypotheses to determine why the world works the way that it does.
Q53. [Essay]
Describe the relationship between the law and informal methods of social control in our modern society.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Laws represent formal modes of control, codified rules of behavior. If one accepts the consensus model of law, laws represent an institutionalized view of what is acceptable behavior. Informally, society controls the actions of individuals through acceptance or lack thereof, whereas laws are enforced predominantly by formal agents of social control such as police officers. This is commonly done by members of society not accepting others when they violate folkways. This shows that there are really multiple methods of social control, and we are not solely controlled by government agents (formal) but also controlled by informal mechanisms.
Q54. [Essay]
What is the key difference between acts that are consideredmala prohibitaandmala in se? Which type of act do you think that the government spends most of its energy on?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Acts that are defined as mala prohibita refer to those that are “bad because they have been prohibited.” That is, such acts are not viewed as bad in themselves but are violations because the law defines them as such. Traffic violations, gambling, and infractions of various municipal ordinances might serve as examples. On the other hand, mala in se acts are those that society considers to be wrong in and of themselves. I believe that the government spends a bit too much time on mala prohibita crimes (such as smoking marijuana or speeding) and less on crimes that people most care about – especially if the cases are difficult – such as rape or murder, crimes that are mala in se.
Q55. [Essay]
In your own words, what were Émile Durkheim’s ideas concerning social change and crime? Do you agree with his perspective?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Durkheim believed that crime was actually a normal factor of society. No matter what a society tried to do, there would always be at least some level of crime in society. Not only that, it was a beneficial thing for society because it allowed non-law-breaking society members to bond together in their distaste and punishment of law-breaking behavior. I agree with this perspective, because I think that whenever somebody breaks a rule, and other people know it, the other people typically come together to denounce the person who has broken such a rule.
Q56. [Essay]
Of the three models of the origin of criminal law – conflict, consensus, and interactionist – which do you think is the most accurate in describing how laws are created?
Suggested answer: Sample response: I believe that the most accurate way to describe the creation of laws is viewing them through the consensus perspective. Except in some cases (such as marijuana legalization), people generally consider laws to reflect their values and the values of society. We may not like a speed limit being so low, but we understand that it is there for a reason. Further, I think laws often change in line with people’s views through protest and legislation, continuing the idea of consensus about what laws should exist.
Q57. [Essay]
Identify the criteria that must be met in US criminal law for an act to be considered a crime.
Suggested answer: Sample response: There are several criteria for something to be considered a crime. First, the act must be prohibited by law and contain legally prescribed punishments. Second, a criminal act must have taken place. Third, social harm of a conscious, voluntary nature is required, meaning there must be injury to the state or to people. Finally, the act is performed intentionally, although cases of negligence and omission may be exceptions, and the voluntary misconduct must be causally related to the harm, meaning it must be shown that the decision or act directly or indirectly caused harm.
Q58. [Essay]
In a criminological/sociological study, what are some of the limitations to defining “crime” as only those actions in violation of criminal law? Do you feel that criminologists should limit their study in this manner?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Defining crime as strictly violating criminal law would relegate the field of criminology to a position as status quo handmaiden of political systems. Hitler’s genocide or Stalin’s purges were accepted conduct within their political ideological systems. Criminologists must study the deviants—the people who commit crime—as well as the social structural contexts that define them. To provide additional perspectives on crime, it is sometimes viewed in ways other than those suggested by the standard legal definitions. Such alternatives define crime in terms of the type of victim (child abuse), the type of offender (white collar crime), the object of the crime (property crime), or the method of criminal activity (organized crime). Such definitions usually cover one or more of the standard legal definitions.
Q59. [Essay]
Why is it so important to think beyond simply the economic consequences of crime when considering the impact crime has on our society?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Crime certainly has a major impact on our society in economic terms –where money or goods are directly taken in illegal ways that hurt people in monetary terms. However, thinking of crime solely as an economic issue would ignore the social and psychological costs that criminal activity has on victims, particularly in terms of fear and mistrust. We must be aware of criminal behavior’s impact in a variety of ways to fully understand the consequences of such behavior in a holistic way.
Hard
Multiple Choice (15)
Q60. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following would most likely be a concern of a criminologist?
a) enforcing laws as established by one’s location
b) writing editorials about their personal beliefs about the causes of crime
c) developing sound theoretical explanations of crime and criminal behavior ✓ correct
d) conducting forensic analyses of crime scenes
Q61. [Multiple Choice]
According to the text, which of the following crimes was considered to be a major problem in the 1960s, but has been virtually eliminated due to stronger security measures today?
a) robbery
b) murder
c) arson
d) skyjacking ✓ correct
Q62. [Multiple Choice]
Which of these was the primary basis of social control, other than kinship organization, prior to the emergence of modern criminal law in the eighteenth century?
a) science
b) education
c) politics
d) religion ✓ correct
Q63. [Multiple Choice]
A society that prohibits lying and cheating through law is an example of a society enforcing which of the following?
a) practical beliefs
b) customary graces
c) linguistic devaluations
d) cultural values ✓ correct
Q64. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is an example of a person violating a folkway?
a) openly expressing distaste for a meal you are being served at a friend’s house ✓ correct
b) copying answers from a friend’s homework assignment
c) stealing a car to go joyriding
d) killing a bartender in a botched robbery attempt
Q65. [Multiple Choice]
If you’ve received a speeding ticket, you’ve done so because you’ve broken a ______.
a) more
b) law ✓ correct
c) mal prohibita
d) felony
Q66. [Multiple Choice]
Corporate violence, racism, structural inequality, and systematic wrongdoing by political officials are examples of ______.
a) overcriminalization
b) undercriminalization ✓ correct
c) felonies
d) misdemeanors
Q67. [Multiple Choice]
Committing murder is an example of an act that is ______.
a) mala in se ✓ correct
b) mala prohibita
c) overcriminalized
d) undercriminalized
Q68. [Multiple Choice]
Driving 27 miles per hour in an area where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour would be best described as an act that is ______.
a) mala in se
b) mala prohibita ✓ correct
c) of overcriminalization
d) of felonious proportions
Q69. [Multiple Choice]
Prohibition had the intended goal of forbidding alcohol consumption to reduce substance abuse. This intended goal is an example of ______.
a) a manifest function of the law ✓ correct
b) a latent function of the law
c) mala in se
d) undercriminalization
Q70. [Multiple Choice]
Prohibition had the unintended effect of increasing corruption, disobedience, and public disrespect for the law. This unintended effect is an example of ______.
a) a manifest function of law
b) a latent function of law ✓ correct
c) mala in se
d) mens rea
Q71. [Multiple Choice]
Someone moving into a community that could be defined as Gemeinschaft is moving into what type of community?
a) a communal society that predominantly relies on informal methods of social control ✓ correct
b) a heterogeneous society in which codified laws are necessary to maintain control
c) a community that holds that law is a means of preserving the status quo on behalf of the powerful
d) a collection of people who have strong knowledge of law and criminal justice procedures
Q72. [Multiple Choice]
The residents of Country X have diverse viewpoints regarding which behaviors are considered moral. People in this society tend to be individualistic, which may be a product of the economic structure that relies on an extensive division of labor. Country X would be considered a ______ society.
a) Gemeinschaft
b) Gesellschaft ✓ correct
c) theocratic
d) communal
Q73. [Multiple Choice]
An argument that drug laws are a tool for the wealthy to control the dangerous classes is consistent with the ______ view of crime.
a) conflict ✓ correct
b) purist legal
c) consensus
d) metaphysical
Q74. [Multiple Choice]
Someone undertaking a criminological examination from the ______ perspective would view criminality as a stigma, something that is attached by a societal reaction and is subject to shifting standards.
a) anomie
b) strain
c) labeling ✓ correct
d) differential association
Essay (6)
Q75. [Essay]
Provide an example of a folkway in contemporary society, and argue as to why this should be considered a folkway instead of a more or law.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Folkways are informal norms that people follow because it is generally accepted behavior in society. Therefore, an example would be not putting your elbows on the table while eating. Generally, mores and laws are looked down upon by members of society more than folkways are, with laws actually being codified and sanctioned by the government for breaking them. Therefore, putting your elbows on the table is a good example of a folkway, rather than something that aligns with more distaste from society like a more or law.
Q76. [Essay]
Provide an example of an act that is consideredmala in se. Why is this act considered this way?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Rape would be considered an act that is mala in se. Acts that are mala in se are “acts bad in themselves,” forbidden behaviors for which there is a wide-scale consensus on the mores for prohibition. The universality of laws against murder, rape, assault, and the like, irrespective of political or economic systems, shows that many cultures harbor similar levels of distaste and discouragement of these types of acts. Rape is a major violation of another human being, and has severe sanctions in American society, showing that this is considered a major violation of human rights.
Q77. [Essay]
Describe the difference between overcriminalization and undercriminalization. Provide an example of each.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Overcriminalization describes an overextension of criminal law to penalize acts that are inappropriately or not responsibly enforced by such measures. Oftentimes these acts are against a certain type of people as well (such as a member of a minority community or a person with low socioeconomic status). An example would be overpolicing of minor drug infractions. On the other hand, undercriminalization refers to the fact that the criminal law fails to prohibit acts that many feel should be criminalized. An example of this could be price-fixing in the corporate sphere that raises prices for the average American on necessary goods.
Q78. [Essay]
Define latent and manifest functions, and give an example of a manifest function and a latent function of a law of your choice.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Manifest functions are those that are intended consequences of a certain action. Latent functions, on the other hand, refer to the unintended consequences – both good and bad. For example, a local community might have a law that requires citizens to not play loud music after ten P.M. A manifest function of that would be to have the community be quieter (the intended consequence) but a latent consequence might be that bars and restaurants close earlier for fear of receiving a fine, and there are fewer places for community members to meet up later at night (an unintended, negative consequence).
Q79. [Essay]
Give an example of a criminal action where a suspect would not be found guilty because they did not havemens rea
Suggested answer: Sample response: Mens rea refers to a “guilty mind” of a suspect, which is essentially where a person knowingly and willingly violates a criminal statute. People who are diagnosed with insanity or a history of mental disturbance often do not possess the ability to make such meaningful violations, and then could be found not guilty of the crime. An example would be a person who convinced the jury that he committed murder because a neighbor’s dog told him to. This person would be considered to have a mental disturbance and thus not capable of having mens rea.
Q80. [Essay]
What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony? Please provide an example of both.
Suggested answer: Sample response: A misdemeanor is typically a less serious offense punished by less than a year in jail. An example of this could be stealing a granola bar from a grocery store. On the other hand, felonies are typically more serious, and require people to spend significantly more time in prison. A felony would be something like armed robbery of a grocery store, where an individual uses a gun to take thousands of dollars from the cashiers.