Measuring Crime: Self Report Methods

Question 1

Self report methods

Answer 1

A method that involves asking people to provide information about crimes they have committed

This method is often voluntary sampling and focuses on crimes not reported to the police.

Question 2

Campbell Study

Answer 2

Found that levels of crime deviance committed by females and males were much closer than police figures suggest

This study highlights discrepancies between self-reported crime and police statistics.

Question 3

What are some advantages of self-report methods?

Answer 3

• Low cost
• Simple way to collect data
• Favored by positivists (macro approach)

These methods can provide insights that traditional crime statistics may overlook.

Question 4

What is a primary validity concern with self-report methods?

Answer 4

Accuracy and truthfulness

Participants may conceal criminal behavior or make false claims.

Question 5

What effect occurs when respondents alter their behavior due to being part of a study?

Answer 5

Hawthorne effect

This can lead to biased results as participants may not behave normally.

Question 6

What are examples of self-report methods?

Answer 6

• Questionnaires (closed)
• Interviews (structured)

These methods allow participants to indicate crimes they have committed.

Question 7

What is a characteristic of reliable self-report methods?

Answer 7

Easily replicated due to closed questions

Closed questions allow for consistent responses across studies.

Question 8

What type of study involves the same group over a long period?

Answer 8

Longitudinal study

This design helps track changes in criminal behavior over time.

Question 9

What is a limitation regarding the representativeness of self-report studies?

Answer 9

Small groups of people + specific crimes

This means they may not provide an overall picture of criminal behavior.

Question 10

What do findings from self-report studies challenge?

Answer 10

The typical criminal profile presented by police recorded statistics

These findings suggest that actual criminal behavior may differ significantly from reported figures.

Question 11

What is a problem when matching offenders’ definitions of criminal behavior to police categories?

Answer 11

Difficulty in aligning definitions

Different perceptions of what constitutes criminal behavior can lead to inconsistencies.