Criminological and Forensic Psychology
Student Resources
Chapter 3: Psychological Approaches to Understanding Crime
1. Strain theory suggests that crime is the consequence of social structures
- True
- False
Answer: A
2. Possible causes of crime proposed by the strain theory include all except
- Inequalities in society
- Unemployment
- Abuse of authority
- An extra chromosome
Answer: D
3. A key limitation of the strain theory is that it is
- Only concerned with society’s influence on crime
- Difficult to research the theory empirically
- Only concerned with evolutionary influences on crime
- Based solely on one person’s data
Answer: B
4. Lombroso suggested that offenders could be identified from non-offenders by
- The social groups they adhere to
- Facial features/physical characteristics *
- Sexual arousal from photographs
- Psychophysiological responses
Answer: B
5. Social learning theory suggests that crime is committed by those who
- Cannot meet goals any other way
- Value anti-social behaviour over pro-social behaviour
- View pro-social behaviour as aberrant
- Imitate peers and have that behaviour reinforced by societal rewards.
Answer: D
6. Identify the chromosomal anomaly that was wrongly linked to increased criminality
- Turner Syndrome
- XYY Syndrome
- Edwards Syndrome
- Fragile X Syndrome
Answer: B
7. Monozygotic twins are
- Conjoined twins
- Identical twins
- Fraternal twins
- non-identical twins
Answer: B
8. Adrenaline has masculinising and anabolic effects in both sexes and has been linked to increases in aggression
- True
- False
Answer: B
9. Which neurotransmitter is of particular interest in studies of aggression
- GABA
- Tryptophan
- Serotonin*
- Acetylcholine
Answer: C
10. Availability of serotonin can be increased via all the following drugs except
- Serotonin agonists
- MAO inhibitors
- 5-HT inhibitors
- Statins
Answer: D
11. Psychopathy is disorder which results in a lack of empathy, exploitation of others, and impulsiveness which might be seen as providing an evolutionary advantage to the individual diagnosed with it
- True
- False
Answer: A
12. Which theory has not been explored as a possible explanation of the crime of rape
- Biological Theory
- Evolutionary Theory
- Social Learning Theory
- Feature Integration Theory
Answer: D
13. Eysenck’s personality theory explores traits that he believed were socially and genetically determined including lycanthropy
- True
- False
Answer: B
14. Biosocial theory is an attempt to link biological characteristics and cognitive learning styles
- True
- False
Answer: B
15. Harrower’s Integrated Theory (1998) is intended to provide an integrated theoretical framework for explaining rape.
- True
- False
Answer: A