According to the chapter, which of the following research questions would be addressed by a macro-level explanation?

Correct answer: Why do males commit more crime than females?

Explanation

Macro-level theories are concerned with explaining differences in rates or patterns across large social groups (e.g., by gender, age, country), rather than focusing on the behavior of specific individuals.

Other questions

Question 1

What is the primary function of a theory as described in the chapter?

Question 2

According to Paternoster and Bachman (2001), what are two essential characteristics a theory should possess?

Question 3

What are the fundamental 'building blocks' of any theory?

Question 4

What is the process of determining how to measure abstract concepts like 'crime' or 'self-control'?

Question 5

When a third, unobserved variable is the actual cause of a correlation between two other variables, what is this phenomenon called?

Question 6

Which type of explanation would focus on societal structures to understand why some countries have higher rates of violent crime than others?

Question 7

A criminologist studying the decision-making process of an individual shoplifter would be using which level of explanation?

Question 8

According to the 'It’s “Just” a Theory Exercise,' what distinguishes a scientific theory from a layperson's opinion?

Question 9

What did Sutherland's 1934 definition of criminology encompass?

Question 10

Besides making sense of observations, what is another primary goal of theories mentioned in the text?

Question 12

What is the relationship between concepts and variables in a theory?

Question 13

In the 'It’s “Just” a Theory Exercise,' the author contrasts a psychological perspective with a criminological one by highlighting the impact of what?

Question 14

Which of the following would NOT be a primary focus of criminological theories as described in the chapter?

Question 15

The example of using the Marshmallow Test to assess a person's ability to resist temptation is an illustration of what process?

Question 16

What is the key difference between macro-level and micro-level explanations of crime?

Question 17

The fact that ice cream sales and murder rates are positively correlated is used in the chapter to illustrate what important theoretical concept?

Question 18

According to the chapter, why is it important to understand why crime happens?

Question 19

The 'It’s “Just” a Theory Exercise' uses Darwin’s theory of evolution as an example of a theory that has what characteristic?

Question 20

A theory that focuses on societal structures is using which level of explanation?

Question 21

What does the text say happens to theories that have yet to be falsified after more investigation?

Question 22

Which term describes concepts after they have been defined for measurement?

Question 23

In the example of the author's changing perspective, what subject did they major in as an undergraduate that gave them a sense of being in control of everything?

Question 24

A theory that focuses on 'processual differences' would be categorized at which level?

Question 25

What is the key flaw in claiming that ice cream causes people to kill, based on their correlated rates?

Question 26

The statement 'theories should attempt to portray the world accurately and must “fit the facts”' is attributed to whom?

Question 27

A research study that examines why young people as a group commit more crime than older people is an example of what type of explanation?

Question 28

What must criminologists do with concepts like 'crime' and 'delinquency' before using them in a theory?

Question 29

What is the relationship between a theory and a hypothesis?

Question 30

The personal story in the 'It’s “Just” a Theory Exercise' suggests that one's childhood friends may be based more on proximity than on deep personal connection. This is an example of what?

Question 31

Which of the following would be an example of a concept that needs to be defined and operationalized in a criminological theory?

Question 32

A criminologist who tests a theory by modifying it based on research findings is engaging in what process?

Question 33

Why do theories strive to make predictions about crime?

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT one of the three components of Sutherland's (1934) definition of criminology?

Question 35

What is the primary focus of micro-level explanations?

Question 36

The chapter mentions 'crime, delinquency, and deviance' as examples of what?

Question 37

If a researcher claims that sunny days cause both ice cream sales and murder rates to increase, what is the 'third variable' in this explanation?

Question 38

What does it mean for a scientific theory to be 'falsifiable'?

Question 39

A theory about crime that focuses on 'differences among individuals' is using which focus described in the text?

Question 40

The author's personal story in the 'It’s “Just” a Theory Exercise' primarily serves to illustrate what concept?

Question 41

If a theory is unable to 'fit the facts,' what does this suggest according to Paternoster and Bachman?

Question 42

Which of the following would be an example of a layperson's opinion rather than a scientific theory?

Question 43

The author of the chapter mentions that they did not choose their parents, their income, or where they lived. This is used to illustrate the influence of what?

Question 44

What is the result of operationalization?

Question 45

If a criminologist wants to study the concept of 'deviance,' what is the first step they must take according to the text?

Question 46

The main purpose of a theory is to do what?

Question 47

Why must researchers be cautious when observing a correlation between two variables?

Question 48

Which level of explanation would be most concerned with how societal inequality affects crime rates across different neighborhoods?

Question 49

What is the consequence of a theory having its hypotheses repeatedly supported by research?

Question 50

When the author discusses being influenced by their parents' income and where they lived, they are referring to factors that are part of what?