Inderbitzin, Deviance and Social Control, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Test Bank
Chapter 1: Introduction to Deviance
Multiple Choice
1. According to Clinard and Meier (2015), which two conceptions of deviance exist in
the study of deviant behavior?
a. normative and non-normative
b. objectively problematic and subjectively given
c. relativist and normative
d. folkways and mores
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Easy
2. Which of the following terms describe rules of behavior that are defined both formally
and informally?
a. norms
b. laws
c. folkways
d. mores
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Easy
3. Which is considered the strongest norm?
a. folkways
b. mores
c. sanctions
d. laws
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Medium
4. From a social constructionist perspective, what assumptions underlie deviance?
a. Everyone is deviant to some degree.
b. Behaviors are not inherently deviant.
c. Deviance is learned from friends and siblings.
d. All forms of deviance are a normal response to stress.
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Inderbitzin, Deviance and Social Control, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Hard
5. Which of the following summarizes a critical perspective on deviance?
a. The normative perspective of deviance is established by those in power to maintain
and enhance their power.
b. There is no inherently deviant behavior, only behavior that society defines as deviant,
a definition that varies by time, culture, and society.
c. Deviance consists of behaviors and conditions that are inherently deviant regardless
of social, economic, and political conditions.
d. Deviant behavior exists along a spectrum, beginning with low-consensus deviance
and ending with high-consensus deviance.
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Conception of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Medium
6. Which of the following is not part of the steps in the scientific research method?
a. research question
b. examine results and theorize
c. data and data collection methods
d. reconciling personal beliefs
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Importance of Theory and Its Relationship to Research
Difficulty Level: Easy
7. How are folkways different from mores?
a. Folkways are casual; mores are serious.
b. Folkways are for individuals; mores are for societies.
c. Mores are informally enforced; folkways are formally enforced.
d. Folkways are internalized; mores are not.
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Hard
8. The purpose of the scientific method is to ______.
a. incorporate mathematical principles
b. minimize bias
c. identify flawed research
d. eliminate creative thinking
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
, Student Resource
Inderbitzin, Deviance and Social Control, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Answer Location: The Importance of Theory and Its Relationship to Research
Difficulty Level: Easy
9. The Fremont Solstice Parade, which involves nude bicycling, is NOT an example of
deviance because ______.
a. riding bicycles in a parade is against the law
b. public nudity is accepted during the solstice parade
c. children are present
d. nude bicycling is uncomfortable
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Introduction
Difficulty Level: Medium
10. Which statement summarizes the social constructionist and reactionist/relativist
perspectives on deviance?
a. Deviance is both normative and non-normative.
b. Deviance can be positive.
c. Deviance is subjectively defined.
d. Deviance includes folkways, mores, and laws.
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Hard
11. Norms against spitting on the sidewalk are ______; norms against murder are
______.
a. casual; critical
b. folkways; mores
c. reactionist; critical
d. relativist; reactionist
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Hard
12. What does the sociological imagination help us understand?
a. individual responsibility
b. the role creativity plays in society
c. how society changes over time
d. how social forces influence individuals
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Sociological Imagination
Difficulty Level: Medium
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Inderbitzin, Deviance and Social Control, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
13. What is the role of sociological theories in understanding deviance?
a. They categorize various forms of deviance.
b. They encourage us to see everyone as normal.
c. They clearly differentiate deviant individuals from everyone else.
d. They help us think systematically about deviance.
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: The Importance of Theory and Its Relationship to Research
Difficulty Level: Hard
14. What assumption underlies the normative conception of deviance?
a. The powerful define what behavior constitutes deviance.
b. There are generally accepted norms guiding behavior.
c. Deviance is defined subjectively, not objectively.
d. A certain amount of deviance is a normal part of society.
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Hard
15. A relativist approaches the study of deviance by studying ______.
a. how norms are created
b. how people learn deviant behavior
c. why deviants violate norms
d. who breaks laws
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Medium
16. Dr. Alucard studies deviant behavior from a ______ perspective, focusing on how
the current social system creates norms to protect those in power.
a. positivist
b. constructionist
c. critical
d. normative
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Conceptions of Deviance
Difficulty Level: Medium
17. Contrasting the acceptance of public nudity at the Fremont Solstice Parade with the
arrest of a serial flasher illustrates that ______.
a. deviance is relative
b. some behavior is always deviant
c. criminals commit deviant behavior