Are Some People Crime-Prone? Replications of the Personality-Crime Relationship Across Countries, Genders, Races, and Methods

• NCJ Number: 148438
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1994) Pages: 163-195
• Author(s): A Caspi; T E Moffitt; P A Silva; M Stouthamer-Loeber; R F Krueger; P S Schmutte
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 33 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH-49414; MH-45070; 86-JN-CX-0009
• Sponsoring Agency: William T. Grant Foundation; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Two studies, one conducted in the U.S. and one in New Zealand, were used to examine the relationship between personality and crime. The subjects in New Zealand were 18 years old, while those in the U.S. were 12 and 13 years old.

Abstract

The variables included in the study were nationality, race, gender, and age. Delinquency was measured through self reports, informants' reports, police contacts, and court convictions. The results revealed that among both males and females, delinquency was correlated negatively with the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) scales Traditionalism and Control, and positively with the Aggression scale. The scales Alienation and Stress Reaction were also related to delinquency. These correlations were consistent across country, age, gender, and race. Future research will examine the relationship between negative emotionality displayed in early childhood and adolescent delinquency, and the relationship between negative emotionality, delinquency, and adult criminality. 7 tables and 72 references