, Thio’s
Deviant Behavior
Thirteenth Edition
Jim D. Taylor
University of Idaho
Martin D. Schwartz
George Washington University
,CHAPTER ONE
What Is Deviant Behavior?
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Among sociologists, there is
a) much personal involvement in illegal deviant behavior.
b) a growing awareness that deviance is best studied by criminologists.
c) widespread agreement about what behavior should be considered deviant.
d) a lack of consensus about what kinds of behavior should be seen as deviant.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Identify your personal definitions of deviant behavior.
Topic: Conflicting Definitions
Difficulty Level: Easy
, Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
2. Compared to the others, which group is most capable of avoiding being falsely,
erroneously, or unjustly labeled as deviant?
a) Affluent people
b) People living below the poverty line
c) People in positions of power
d) People who are socially powerless
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Identify your personal definitions of deviant behavior.
Topic: Conflicting Definitions
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
3. Denis relies on a wheelchair because of his cerebral palsy. Would he be considered
“deviant” according to some definitions offered by sociologists?
a) Yes, because the mere fact of using a wheelchair violates formal norms
b) No, because deviance only applies to people who break laws or commit violent
acts
c) Yes, because people with disabilities are often devalued by society
d) No, because his positive/negative “deviance ratio” is imbalanced
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Identify your personal definitions of deviant behavior.
Topic: Conflicting Definitions
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
4. Which statement about deviance is TRUE?
a) Deviance should include only important violations of norms.
b) All sociologists agree that deviance includes mundane, routine, and normal
violations of formal norms.
c) Deviance is considered a “fringe topic” by most sociologists.
d) Sociologists do not agree on a precise definition of deviance.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Identify your personal definitions of deviant behavior.
Topic: Conflicting Definitions
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
5. Which statement about the definition of deviance is TRUE?
a) Almost all persons in a society will agree on the nature of deviant behavior.
b) Definitions of deviant behavior are determined by consensus among a nation‟s
religious groups.
c) There is often a great deal of disagreement among people as to who or what
they consider deviant.
d) Few persons in a society are concerned about the definition of deviance.