Practice Exam: SCE - Crime Causation Theories (Set 46)
30-question practice exam on biological, psychological, and integrated theories of crime.
1. According to Cesare Lombroso, which of the following is a key characteristic of a "born criminal"?
A.High intelligence quotient
B.Atavistic stigmata
C.Strong moral principles
D.Advanced social skills
2. A person with a muscular, athletic build is described by William Sheldon as a "mesomorph." Which temperament is associated with this body type?
A.Cerebrotonic (restrained, introverted)
B.Somotonic (aggressive, assertive)
C.Viscerotonic (relaxed, sociable)
D.Melancholic (sad, thoughtful)
3. Which theory suggests that criminals are evolutionary throwbacks to an earlier, more primitive stage of human development?
A.Psychoanalytic Theory
B.Strain Theory
C.Lombroso's Theory of Atavism
D.Differential Association Theory
4. A person who is overweight, with a soft and round body, is classified by Sheldon as an endomorph. What personality is linked to this type?
A.Aggressive and dominant
B.Introverted and shy
C.Relaxed and sociable
D.Anxious and secretive
5. The "Positivist School" of criminology, pioneered by Lombroso, shifted the focus of criminology from the crime itself to what?
A.The victim's role
B.The criminal actor
C.The legal system
D.The societal reaction
6. In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, which part of the personality operates on the "pleasure principle," seeking immediate gratification?
A.Ego
B.Superego
C.Id
D.Animus
7. A person who feels immense guilt and anxiety after committing a minor infraction, like littering, likely has an overdeveloped:
A.Ego
B.Superego
C.Id
D.Libido
8. Behavioral theory suggests that criminal behavior is:
A.A result of unconscious conflicts
B.A product of genetic defects
C.Learned through reinforcement and punishment
D.Caused by a weak moral compass
9. A teenager consistently gets into fights because his peer group praises his toughness. This is an example of:
A.Negative reinforcement
B.Positive reinforcement
C.Punishment
D.Extinction
10. According to psychoanalytic theory, a weak ego would have difficulty in:
A.Feeling guilt for wrongdoing
B.Mediating between the Id's desires and the Superego's rules
C.Desiring pleasure and avoiding pain
D.Developing a moral conscience
11. Robert Merton's Strain Theory argues that crime occurs when there is a disconnect between:
A.Family values and personal beliefs
B.Culturally defined goals and socially approved means of achieving them
C.Laws and moral norms
D.Individual desires and physical capabilities
12. An individual who accepts the goal of wealth but rejects legitimate work and turns to selling illegal drugs is an example of which mode of adaptation?
A.Conformity
B.Innovation
C.Ritualism
D.Retreatism
13. In Merton's typology, a "ritualist" is someone who:
A.Rejects both cultural goals and the means to achieve them.
B.Actively seeks to replace existing goals and means.
C.Abandons societal goals but continues to adhere to legitimate means.
D.Accepts both the goals and the means of society.
14. Which theory is a direct extension of Merton's work, focusing on the negative emotions that arise from experiencing strain?
A.Social Control Theory
B.General Strain Theory (Agnew)
C.Differential Association Theory
D.Labeling Theory
15. The concept of "anomie" as used by Emile Durkheim refers to a state of:
A.Social solidarity
B.Normlessness
C.Collective conscience
D.Class conflict
16. "A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law." This is the core principle of which theory?
A.Social Control Theory
B.Differential Association Theory
C.Strain Theory
D.Labeling Theory
17. According to Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory, which of the following is NOT one of the four elements of the social bond?
A.Attachment
B.Commitment
C.Involvement
D.Aggression
18. A youth who spends all his free time participating in school sports and clubs has less opportunity for delinquency. This illustrates which element of Hirschi's social bond?
A.Attachment
B.Commitment
C.Involvement
D.Belief
19. A young person refrains from shoplifting because they fear disappointing their parents. This is an example of which social bond element?
A.Attachment
B.Commitment
C.Involvement
D.Belief
20. Sykes and Matza's "Techniques of Neutralization" explain how delinquents:
A.Reject societal norms completely.
B.Justify their deviant behavior while still accepting societal norms.
C.Are genetically predisposed to crime.
D.Suffer from psychological disorders.
21. Conflict theory, inspired by Karl Marx, views crime as a product of:
A.Moral decay in society
B.A breakdown in social bonds
C.The inherent inequalities and power struggles of capitalism
D.The failure of individuals to learn pro-social behaviors
22. In conflict criminology, who are the "bourgeoisie"?
A.The working class or laborers
B.The agents of social control (police, courts)
C.The owners of the means of production (factory owners, elites)
D.The intellectual or academic class
23. A law that penalizes vagrancy and loitering more harshly than corporate price-fixing would be seen by a conflict theorist as evidence of:
A.A well-functioning legal system
B.The law serving the interests of the powerful
C.A decline in public morality
D.The need for more police
24. Which theory argues that being called a "delinquent" or "criminal" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy?
A.Strain Theory
B.Social Control Theory
C.Labeling Theory
D.Biological Positivism
25. What is the central focus of "critical criminology"?
A.Identifying the biological markers of criminals.
B.Understanding the process of learning criminal behavior.
C.Challenging the state's definition of crime and the power structures it supports.
D.Measuring the effectiveness of police tactics.
26. Which theory posits that a lack of self-control is the primary cause of all crime and deviance?
A.Differential Association Theory
B.A General Theory of Crime (Gottfredson & Hirschi)
C.Strain Theory
D.Labeling Theory
27. Life-course theories, such as those by Sampson and Laub, emphasize the importance of what in desisting from crime?
A.A consistent lack of self-control
B.The acquisition of a criminal label
C.Turning points like a stable job or a good marriage
D.An excess of definitions favorable to law violation
28. An integrated theory is one that:
A.Focuses on a single factor as the cause of crime.
B.Combines concepts from two or more different criminological theories.
C.Rejects all previous theories as outdated.
D.Argues that crime is purely a social construct.
29. A theory that examines how an individual's connections to family and school change over time and affect their involvement in crime is best described as a:
A.Classical Theory
B.Neoclassical Theory
C.Developmental or Life-Course Theory
D.Structural Theory
30. Elliott's Integrated Theory combines concepts from which three major theoretical traditions?
A.Biological, Psychological, and Sociological
B.Strain, Social Control, and Social Learning
C.Conflict, Labeling, and Marxist
D.Classical, Positivist, and Neoclassical