Chapter 1: Science, Society, and Criminological Research

Test Bank

1. Ben interviews ten juvenile gang members and discovers that most regularly carry weapons. Based on this information, he argues that all juvenile gang members carry weapons. This is an example:

1. Careful observation
2. Systematic reasoning

*c. Overgeneralization

1. Inaccurate observation

Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

2. When conducting an interview, a researcher misunderstands a respondent’s statement and enters an incorrect entry into his notes. This is an example:

1. Careful observation
2. Systematic reasoning
3. Overgeneralization

*d. Inaccurate observation

Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

3. Research shows that most criminals are poor. Many people think, therefore, that most poor people are criminals. This is an example:

1. Inaccurate observation
2. Systematic reasoning
3. Resistance to change

*d. Illogical reasoning

Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

4. The intersubjective agreement is important to which philosophy?

1. Constructivist

*b. Postpositivist

1. Feminist
2. Interpretivist

Section: Social Research Philosophies

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Knowledge

5. An individual is told that an auto manufacturing company has changed its business plan to make quality vehicles, but he refuses to believe this because he has had poor experiences with this company’s vehicles in the past. This is an example:

1. Uncritical agreement with an authority
2. Policy motivations

*c. Resistance to change

1. Inaccurate observation

Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

6. In explaining her position on the death penalty, Sally states, “I support the death penalty because my parents do and I trust their opinions.” She is committing which type of reasoning error?

1. Ego-based commitments
2. Excessive devotion to tradition

*c. Uncritical agreement with the authority

1. Inaccurate observation

Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

7. In an effort to reduce violence, a high school principal is interested in adopting a zero-tolerance rule at his school whereby students who bring weapons to school will automatically be expelled. He interviews other school administrators with and without zero-tolerance rules. This study is driven by:

*a. Policy motivations

1. Personal motivations
2. Academic motivations
3. Profit motivations

Section: Motives for Criminological Research

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

8. A criminology professor is interested in understanding how ex-offenders reintegrate back into the community. This study is driven by:

*a. Policy motivations

1. Personal motivations
2. Academic motivations
3. Profit motivations

Section: Motives for Criminological Research

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

9. A volunteer for the Humane Society is about to conduct a study on animal abuse. She is most likely working from:

1. Policy motivations

*b. Personal motivations

1. Academic motivations
2. Both B and C

Section: Motives for Criminological Research

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

10. Which of the following is not a standard motivation for criminological research?

1. Academic
2. Personal
3. Policy

*d. Profit