chapter 3

Question 1

anomie

Answer 1

the absence or weakness of rules, norms, or guidelines on what is socially or morally acceptable

Question 2

antisocial personality

Answer 2

a personality characterized by a lack of warmth and feeling, inappropriate behavioral responses, and an inability to learn from experience. also called sociopath or psychopath

Question 3

collective efficacy

Answer 3

a condition of mutual trust and cooperation that develops in neighborhoods that have a high level of formal and informal social control

Question 4

criminology

Answer 4

the scientific study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior

Question 5

critical criminology

Answer 5

the view that crime results because the rich and powerful impose their own moral standards and economic interests on the rest of society

Question 6

culture of poverty

Answer 6

the view that people in the lower class of society form a separate culture with its own values and norms that are in conflict with those of conventional society

Question 7

deterrent effect

Answer 7

the assumed ability of the threat of criminal sanctions to discourage crime before it occurs

Question 8

developmental theories

Answer 8

a view of crime holding that as people travel through the life course, their experiences along the way influence their behavior patterns. behavior changes at each stage of the human experience

Question 9

differential association theory

Answer 9

the view that criminal acts are related to a person’s exposure to antisocial attitudes and values

Question 10

disinhibilition

Answer 10

unconstrained behavior resulting from a loss of inhibition via some external influence, such as drugs or alcohol, or from a brain injury

Question 11

early onset

Answer 11

the beginning of antisocial behavior during early adolescence, after which criminal behavior is more likely to persist throughout the life span

Question 12

focal concerns

Answer 12

central values and goals that, some sociological theorists believe, differ by social class

Question 13

general deterrence

Answer 13

a crime control policy that depends on the fear of criminal penalties

Question 14

latent trait theories

Answer 14

the view that human behavior is controlled by a master trait, present at birth or soon after, that influences and directs behavior

Question 15

life course theories

Answer 15

the view that criminality is a dynamic process influenced by people’s perceptions and experiences throughout their lives, which may change their behavior for the better or worse

Question 16

neurotransmitters

Answer 16

chemical substances that carry impulses from one nerve cell to another. Neurotransmitters are found in the space (synapse) that separates the transmitting neuron’s terminal (axon) from the receiving neuron’s terminal (dendrite)

Question 17

parental efficacy

Answer 17

parenting that is supportive, effective, and noncoercive

Question 18

routine activities theory

Answer 18

the view that crime is a product of three everyday factors: motivated offenders, suitable targets, and a lack of capable guardians

Question 19

social capital

Answer 19

positive relations with individuals and institutions that foster self-worth and inhibit crime

Question 20

social control theory

Answer 20

the view that most people do not violate the law because of their social bonds to family, peer group, school, and other institutions. if these bonds are weakened or absent, individuals are much more likely to commit crime

Question 21

social learning theory

Answer 21

the view that human behavior is learned through observation of human social interactions either directly from those in close proximity or indirectly from the media

Question 22

social reaction(labeling) theory

Answer 22

the view that society produces criminals by stigmatizing certain individuals as deviants, a label that they come to accept as a personal identity

Question 23

social structure

Answer 23

the stratifications, classes, institutions, and groups that characterize a society

Question 24

specific deterrence

Answer 24

punishment severe enough to convince convicted offenders never to repeat their criminal activity

Question 25

state (organized) crime

Answer 25

criminal acts committed by state officials in pursuit of their jobs as government representatives

Question 26

strain

Answer 26

the emotional turmoil and conflict caused when people believe that they cannot achieve their desires and goals through legitimate means

Question 27

victim precipitation

Answer 27

the role of the victim in provoking or encouraging criminal behavior