Page 1 of 6

This chapter has 41 questions.

Scroll down to see and select individual questions or 0 questions at random and keep in order 
narrow the list using the checkboxes below.

Multiple Choice Questions - (36) Topic: Criminological Theories - (2)

Essay Questions - (5) Topic: Economics - (1)
Odd Numbered - (21) Topic: Knowledge - (1)
Even Numbered - (20) Topic: Law - (1)
Level: Analyze - (3) Topic: Life-course Theory - (2)
Level: Application - (2) Topic: Merton's Strain Theory - (3)
Level: Apply - (3) Topic: Political science - (1)
Level: Create - (2) Topic: Psychology - (1)
Level: Knowledge - (2) Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory - (6)
Level: Remember - (15) Topic: Serial Murder and the Media - (1)
Level: Sociology - (1) Topic: Society's Reaction to the Breaking of Laws - (2)
Level: Synthesis - (1) Topic: The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice - (4)
Level: Understand - (12) Topic: The Interdisciplinary Nature of Criminology - (1)
Topic: Biology - (1) Topic: The Making of Laws - (5)
Topic: Conflict Theory - (6) Topic: What Is Criminology? - (3)

1. Which of the following is not included as a key component of the classic definition of criminology?
the breaking of laws
society's reaction to the breaking of laws
→ the effect on the victim of the breaking of laws
the making of laws

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: What Is Criminology?
2. The classic definition of criminology was proposed by
Robert Merton.
Dennis Rader
Terrie Moffitt.
→ Edwin Sutherland.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: What Is Criminology?
3. ________ law governs private rights and settles disputes between citizens.
Criminal
→ Civil
Political
Social

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Making of Laws
4. ________ law is most important to ensuring society is orderly and citizens feel safe.
→ Criminal
Civil
Political
Social

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Making of Laws
5. Which of the following is an example of a tort?
a claim of personal injury occurring during a robbery
→ a dispute about a business contract
a claim of theft of property
a claim of loss of income due to an assault

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Making of Laws
6. Under the criminal law, a case is won when
→ it is shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
there is a preponderance of evidence to show the defendant is guilty.
probable cause is found to suggest the defendant committed the offense.
there is a reasonable suspicion to suggest the defendant is guilty.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Making of Laws
7. Which of the following punishments may be imposed under civil law?
probation
a term in prison
→ payment of a specified amount of money
 Page 2 of 6

death

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Making of Laws
8. Which of the following is not a common social reaction to crime?
fear
disgust
fascination
→ All these answers are correct.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Society's Reaction to the Breaking of Laws
9. Which of the following is not a key reason why most members of society have a distorted or biased view of serial
murderers?
Serial killings are sensational.
Our culture encourages the creation of instant celebrities.
The globalization of the media means that all offenses are locally reported.
→ Most people know someone who has been a victim of a serial killer.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Serial Murder and the Media
10. The interdisciplinary nature of criminology refers to the
effect of crime on all levels of society.
→ fact that criminology draws on other academic disciplines.
effect of crime on politics.
development of criminology as a professional academic discipline.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Interdisciplinary Nature of Criminology
11. ________ forces control how crime is defined and how criminal law works.
Psychological
Social
→ Political
Biological

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Political science
12. Which of the following fields of study would apply to an attempt to understand how an offender determines that the
reward obtained from selling drugs is worth the risk of getting caught by the police?
→ economics
law
political science
biology

Level: Application
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Economics
13. ________ standards of behavior are intended to harm society and individuals.
Pro-social
Civil
→ Antisocial
Social

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Psychology
14. Because laws are made by people to control people, criminologists are interested in
how laws are made.
what activities laws control.
what individuals laws control.
→ All these answers are correct.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Law
15. Which of the following fields of study would apply to an attempt to determine if offenders are in some way physically
different from non-offenders?
political science
sociology
→ biology
economics

Multiple Choice Question

 Page 3 of 6

Level: Application
Topic: Biology
16. Which of the following fields has contributed the most to the field of criminology?
biology
→ sociology
psychology
economics

Level: Sociology
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Knowledge
17. The field of ________ emerged to improve our understanding of the social problem of crime.
sociology
→ criminology
criminal justice
penology

Level: Knowledge
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice
18. The field of ________ emerged to improve our understanding of the social mechanisms for dealing with crime.
sociology
criminology
→ criminal justice
penology

Level: Knowledge
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice
19. Recidivism refers to
the ability of the criminal justice system to deter individuals from breaking the law.
→ repeat offending.
how offenders are punished.
removing offenders from the criminal justice system prior to formal processing.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory
20. Recidivism may be measured by all but which of the following?
rate of re-arrest
rate of reconviction
rate of re-incarceration
→ rate of release on probation

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory
21. ________ theory focuses on ways to make lawbreaking so unattractive that offenders will decide not to break the law any
further.
→ Deterrence
Social disorganization
Labeling
Strain

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory
22. A crime-prevention program that focuses on improving schools and providing jobs in a neighborhood so residents will be
more invested in the community and less likely to break the law would be based on which of the following theories?
deterrence theory
→ social disorganization theory
labeling theory
strain theory

Level: Apply
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory
23. Labeling theory would claim that
if the consequences of breaking the law are sufficiently unattractive, people will not do it anymore.
neighborhoods with transient, low-skilled, and alienated residents tend to have more crime.
identifying someone as an offender may damage his or her prospects for employment, emotional relationships,
→
and so on.
juveniles who are never fully integrated into society are more likely to have criminal careers as adults.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory
24.
 Page 4 of 6

Which of the following questions would be most likely to be asked by a criminologist, as opposed to a criminal justice
practitioner?
How can we prevent an offender from recidivating?
How can we ensure inmate safety in a juvenile detention facility?
Why do some offenders begin breaking the law early in life whereas others do not begin breaking the law until
→
much later?
What can we do to ensure greater professionalism among correctional staff?

Level: Analyze
Multiple Choice Question Topic: The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice
25. White-collar offenses involve
some form of violent behavior.
offenses committed by middle-class offenders.
→ a criminal offense committed during the course of legitimate business.
offenses which cannot result in incarceration.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Criminological Theories
26. According to criminological research, most offenders in the United States are
→ young white males.
young black males.
older black males.
young females.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Criminological Theories
27. Which of the following is an example of a life-course-persistent offender?
an individual who commits a small number of petty offenses as a preteen and then stops by the time he or she
becomes a teenager
an individual who begins breaking the law as a child but stops by the time he or she reaches his late teens or
early twenties
→ an individual who begins breaking the law as a child and continues to do so as an adult
an individual who does not break the law as an adolescent

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Life-course Theory
28. An offender who stops serious law-breaking in adolescence or early adulthood is known as a (n)
life-course-persistent offender.
→ adolescent-limited offender.
innovation offender.
white-collar offender.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Life-course Theory
29. Strain theory was developed by
Terrie Moffitt.
Edwin Sutherland.
→ Robert Merton.
Thomas F. Quinn.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Merton's Strain Theory
30. According to strain theory, strain is very similar to
→ stress.
labeling.
social conflict.
deterrence.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Merton's Strain Theory
31. According to Merton, some crime occurs because people feel worthless if they cannot meet the overarching goal in
American society of
getting a college education.
→ amassing material wealth.
getting elected to public office.
having a job.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Merton's Strain Theory
32. Conflict theorists consider most crime to be rooted in
 Page 5 of 6

the bad choices of individuals.

disorganized neighborhoods.
genetics.
→ impoverishment.

Level: Apply
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Conflict Theory
33. Conflict theory suggests that crime stems mainly from
individual behavior.
how the criminal justice system treats offenders.
→ social-economic imbalance.
individual stress over one's inability to achieve social goals.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Conflict Theory
34. Traditionally, which of the following offenses has been treated most leniently by the criminal justice system?
burglary
robbery
theft
→ white-collar crime

Level: Apply
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Conflict Theory
35. According to conflict theorists, the defining difference between the treatment of street offenders and white-collar offenders
is the
violent nature of most street crimes.
→ lifestyle and social class of white-collar offenders.
admiration police officers have for some street offenders.
gender and race of street offenders.

Level: Understand
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Conflict Theory
36. Interpersonal violent or materially destructive offenses are usually known as
→ street crimes.
white-collar crimes.
torts.
social maladjustment.

Level: Remember
Multiple Choice Question Topic: Conflict Theory
37. List and explain the three elements of Edwin Sutherland's classic definition of criminology. Why is each element
important?

Explanation:
Answer will vary

Level: Analyze
Essay Question Topic: What Is Criminology?
38. Explain why society's reaction to the breaking of laws is so complex. Do you think public interest in crime, even among
people who have never personally been victimized, is a good thing? Explain your view.

Explanation:
Answer will vary

Level: Create
Essay Question Topic: Society's Reaction to the Breaking of Laws
39. Explain the similarities and differences between criminology and criminal justice. Do you think they are two separate
disciplines that overlap or two aspects of the same field of study? Explain your opinion.

Explanation:
Answer will vary

Level: Analyze
Essay Question Topic: The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice
 Page 6 of 6

40. Explain why white-collar offenders tend to be treated more leniently than street-crime offenders. Do you agree or disagree
with way the criminal justice system has treated white-collar offenders? Explain your views. Why has our treatment of
white-collar offenders changed in recent years?

Explanation:
Answer will vary

Level: Create
Essay Question Topic: Conflict Theory
41. Deterrence theory, labeling theory, and social disorganization theory all have the potential to reduce recidivism. For each
of these theories, describe a social program based on the theory and explain how it would be expected to reduce
recidivism.

Explanation:
Answer will vary

Level: Synthesis
Essay Question Topic: Recidivism and Criminological Theory