Carrie wants very much to do well in college, so she cheats regularly on exams. according to robert merton, carrie is a(n):

According to Robert Merton, Carrie is an innovator (i.e. deviant).  

In Robert Merton's Strain Theory, a person can react to strain (caused by an imbalance between the goals and the means) by conformism, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion, and innovation.

Conformism involves a person's acceptance of both the goals and the means of society and follows along with what he should be doing to succeed.

Ritualism involves a person giving up on the goals and resigning to the fact that he can never achieve the expected goals. Even so, the person continues to perform "means" to the goal despite giving up on the goal.

Retreatism involves a person rejecting AND giving up on both the goals and the means. 

Rebellion involves a person rejecting both the goals and the means, but seeking to find new goals and new means to obtain them. 

Innovation involves a person accepting society's goals but seeking to find new means to obtain them, primarily using means that society disapproves of (e.g. cheating). This leads to deviance and crime. 

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