5.2. What Makes a Good Theory?

According to the criteria for judging criminological theories, what is considered the basic building block of any theory?

Which criterion for a good theory, as established by Akers and Sellers (2013), pertains to its range of explanations, such as explaining crime committed by different demographic groups?

What does the principle of parsimony in a criminological theory refer to?

According to the 1965 work by Popper, what is the primary criterion for the scientific status of a theory?

According to Gibbs (1990), what is the most important principle for judging a criminological theory?

Which criterion for a good theory relates to its practical application in creating policies or programs to reduce crime?

A theory that explains crime committed by both males and females across all age groups would be considered strong in which criterion?

The idea that a theory should not have an excessive number of constructs or hypotheses is related to which principle?

How many criteria for judging criminological theories, as established by Akers and Sellers (2013), are listed in the chapter?

The statement 'Every genuine test of a theory is an attempt to falsify it or to refute it' is attributed to which scholar?

What did the 2010 study by Cooper, Walsh, and Ellis investigate?

If a theory's core concepts and propositions contradict one another, it would be considered weak in which area?

A theory that is supported by evidence after numerous tests and different research approaches is said to possess what quality?

If a theory's premise guides policymakers to identify at-risk juveniles for intervention programs, it demonstrates which theoretical quality?

What does the chapter suggest about the level of agreement among criminologists regarding the causes of criminal behavior?

The concept that a theory must be open to being proven false through scientific testing is also known as what?

A theory described as 'concise, elegant, and simple' excels in which criterion?

As described by Popper, what is the relationship between testability and falsifiability?

Which criterion is identified by Gibbs (1990) as the 'most important principle to judge a theory'?

Who are the authors credited in the chapter with establishing the set of six criteria for judging theories, including logical consistency, scope, and parsimony?

If a criminological theory only explains the behavior of shoplifting among juveniles and no other crimes or groups, it would be described as having a narrow what?

What is the final criterion listed by Akers and Sellers in the chapter, which suggests that all theories should ideally guide practical action?

In what year was the work by Popper regarding the falsifiability of scientific theories published, according to the citation in the chapter?

When a criminological theory is described as having high empirical validity, what does this signify?

According to the work by Cooper, Walsh, and Ellis, what external factor can significantly influence a criminologist's beliefs about the causes of crime?

What is an essential characteristic of a 'good scientific theory' according to the text?

The ability of a theory to 'make sense' and be internally free from contradictions relates to which criterion?

Which scholar is credited with arguing that the verification or repudiation of a theory through empirical research is the most important principle for judging it?

According to the chapter, better theories are characterized by having a what?

Which of the following is NOT listed as one of the six criteria for judging a criminological theory in the chapter?

Popper's concept of testability suggests that some theories take greater risks because they are more exposed to what?

The ability of a theory to explain a wide range of criminal behaviors and apply to diverse groups is a measure of its:

The 'simplicity' of a theory is another way to describe which of its characteristics?

According to the chapter, how must we test our theories to judge them against one another?

What is the central idea behind the 'usefulness' criterion for a good theory?

If a theory is consistently supported by evidence from many different research approaches and tests, it is said to have high:

The phrase 'logical consistency' refers to a theory's ability to do what?

Which scholar is quoted in the chapter as saying that the scientific status of a theory is its 'falsifiability, or refutability, or testability'?

The scholar who argued for the primacy of empirical research in judging theories, and whose work is cited from 1990, is:

According to the chapter, the premise of a particular criminological theory will ultimately guide whom in their work?

What is described as the first and most basic criterion that a theory must meet to be considered sound?

A theory that can be disproven through empirical testing, regardless of whether it actually is disproven, is said to be:

According to the chapter, why is criminology considered an interdisciplinary field?

What does a parsimonious theory specifically avoid?

The practical value of a theory in addressing real-world crime problems is best captured by which criterion?

A theory's range of explanation is to scope, as its simplicity is to what?

What is a key difference that distinguishes a scientific theory from a simple, untested belief about crime?

In what year was the work by Akers and Sellers, which established the set of criteria for judging theories, published?

What does the chapter imply when comparing theories in the natural and physical sciences to those in criminology?

If extensive empirical research consistently fails to support a theory's claims about crime, the theory is said to lack which critical quality?