What are the main elements or criteria of a “good” theory?

Required Article Readings

• Theory #1 Topic: Intelligence and Antisocial Personality Effects on Crime

-Rhee and Waldman (2002)

-Rocque, Welsh, and Raine (2012)

-Dhingra and Boduszek (2013)

Video: The Neuroscience of Restorative Justice (TED Talk Video with Daniel Reisel)

 

 

• Theory #2 Topic: Social Disorganization Theory and General Strain Theory

-Walker and Zawisza (2014)

-Sampson (2006)

-Rebellon, Piquero, Piquero, and Thaxton (2009)

Video:

• http://apps.urban.org/features/rental-housing-crisis-map/
• How we’re priming some kids for college-and others for prison (TED Talk Video with Alice Goffman)
• The New American Dream (TED Talk Video with Courtney E. Martin)

 

 

• Theory #3 Topic: Sutherland’s Differential Association and Hirschi’s Social Control Theory

-Gardner and Steinberg (2005)

-Pratt, Turner, and Piquero (2004)

-Vaughn, Bouffard, and Piquero (2017)

Video:

• The Bobo Doll Experiement (An example of learned aggression.) https://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html
• The Stanford Prison Experiment (An example of the power of lables, peer influence, and control.)     https://www.prisonexp.org/the-story/
• The Stanford Prison Experiment is a Fraud (An example of why the scientific method and replication are severely important.)   https://www.vox.com/2018/6/13/17449118/stanford-prison-experiment-fraud-psychology-replication
• The Psychology of Evil (TED Talk Video with Philip Zimbardo)
• Why teens confess to crimes they didn’t commit (TED Talk Video with LindsayMalloy)

 

 

• Theory #4 Topic: Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy and Sampson and Laub’s Age Graded Theory of Informal Social Control

-Moffitt (1993)

-Bartusch et al. (1997)

-Farrington (2003)

Video:

• Ear Hustle is a podcast of stories about life and living inside prison, shared and produced by inmates.      https://www.earhustlesq.com
• Prisoner Re-Entry: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver(Consider how a life of crime and time in prison without a turning point doesn’t prepare people for living a legitimate life when released, and can contribute to career criminality.)

Instructions for Final Paper(5 pages):

Answer the question in NO MORE than 5 double spaced pages on the topic.

Font must be Times New Romans, 12 point. Margins must be 1 inch around the page.

Type your name and the course number in the header at the top of the first page on the left, including pages numbers at the top right.

You MUST cite your sources in your exam answer in APA format as you reference materials. You should cite materials used in class, and include additional materials such as other journal articles you have found to support your claims in your exam as needed. Please include a reference page in APA format with full references used in the paper (not counted as part of the 5 page limit).

 

QUESTION:

What are the main elements or criteria of a “good” theory? Of the theories discussed in this course, identify one theory that meets your criteria and one theory that fails to meet your criteria. Using your criteria, go through each of the two theories and support your views using information and citations from the course readings.

 

Consider whether the theories have been properly evaluated, how well they explain crime and criminal behavior, what empirical evidence supports the theories, and if there are real-world policy implications that have been developed from the theories.

 

Read and reread the question, and be sure you address all parts in your final paper.