Read the Vignette and Answer the Questions That Follow

question 22

Multiple Choice

Read the vignette and answer the questions that follow.
After being rounded up by the cops last Saturday night,three men sit in jail pondering their condition and how they ended up incarcerated.All of them are in jail for different reasons and have different backgrounds.All of them are fairly young,in their teenage years,and very poor.John and Franky have been arrested for the first time;Arny has been in and out of the justice system since he was a child.John has been arrested for stealing an engagement ring.He had no money to buy the ring.Franky and Arny have both been arrested for assault.The only other background information we have about the three men is that Franky is a member of the Bloods,a violent gang located in the surrounding area and that Arny has been in jail for assault many times in the past.

-Given the information in this vignette,which theory best explains Franky's decision to commit a crime?

• A)labeling theory
• B)strain theory
• C)social control theory
• D)theory of differential association

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Definitions:

Conditioned Stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A process of behavioral adjustment where the level of an action is modified through the application of rewards or punishments.

Extinction

In psychology, the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency.

Reinforcement

A concept in behavioral psychology where a behavior is strengthened or increased by following it with a positive or rewarding stimulus.