Born to Be Bad?
(Foundations of Control Theory)
(Foundations of Control Theory)
According to control theorists, why do people engage in deviance?
Because they are naturally attracted to it
Name the four elements of Hirschi’s social bond theory
Attachment, Commitment, Involvement, Belief
Who wrote the General Theory of Crime in 1990?
Hirschi & Gottfredson
Researchers often use this type of survey where people admit what crimes they’ve done.
Self -report survey
Does Hirschi assume people are naturally good or naturally deviant?
Naturally deviant
Which sociologist’s ideas on social integration and regulation laid the groundwork for control theories?
Émile Durkheim
Which bond is considered the most important and why?
Attachment — because strong emotional ties to family and peers discourage deviance (Kubrin, p.169).
They said this trait is the “barrier” between us and the short-term rewards of crime
Self-control
Attachment is usually measured by asking about closeness to who?
Parents and friends
What do critics say control theory ignores — social problems or family closeness?
Social problems/inequalities
Hirschi developed his theory as a response to what?
To shift the focus away from explaining motivation (like strain and learning theories) and instead explain why people conform.
This bond is about working hard toward school, jobs, or other future goals
Commitment
When in life is self-control developed?
Early childhood
This FBI program collects crime data reported by police each year
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
What kind of interventions does self-control theory emphasize most?
Early childhood/parenting interventions
What is the central assumption of control theory about human nature?
Humans are pleasure-seeking and deviance is “natural” unless constrained
This bond means staying busy with good activities like sports, school, or clubs so there’s less time for trouble.
Involvement
True or False: Self-control is stable throughout the life course
True
Hirschi first tested his theory by studying which group?
Young people/students
Self-control theory says self-control doesn’t change much. But research shows people can change later. What do we call this?
Desistance
Strain and learning theories focus on motivation. What does control theory say we should focus on instead?
Explaining conformity
This bond is about believing that rules and laws are right and should be followed.
Belief
Low self-control predicts crime, but it also predicts everyday risky stuff. Name one
Things like substance use, accidents, or impulsive decisions
What is a common problem with self-reporting surveys regarding crime?
Not being honest.
Control theory assumes social bonds are available to everyone. Why might that be a problem?
Not everyone has equal access to strong bonds (family, school, community)