The concept of hedonistic calculus is associated with:

• A. Rawls
• B. Bentham
• C. Hirschi
• D. Sutherland

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is Bentham’s hedonic calculus, a method for evaluating actions by how much pleasure or pain they’re likely to produce. Bentham argued that people should choose actions that maximize overall happiness, and he proposed a systematic way to weigh consequences. The calculus looks at several dimensions to estimate the balance of pleasure and pain: intensity (how strong the pleasure or pain is), duration (how long it lasts), certainty or uncertainty (how likely it is to occur), propinquity or remoteness (how soon it will occur), fecundity (the chance that pleasure will lead to more pleasure), purity (the chance that it won’t be followed by pain), and extent (how many people are affected). This framework is a hallmark of utilitarian thinking, which aims for the greatest good for the greatest number.

Other figures in criminology relate to different ideas. Rawls is known for justice as fairness and the original position, not for calculating pleasures and pains. Hirschi developed social control theory, focusing on the bonds that hold people to society. Sutherland is associated with differential association, which emphasizes learning criminal behavior from others.