NCJ Number
240248
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2012 Pages: 463-471
Date Published
December 2012
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether a set of perceptual peer deviance items could accurately measure a peer's self-reported deviance.
Abstract
This study examined a set of perceptual peer deviance items to determine whether they could accurately measure a peer's self-reported deviance. The study identified five items that were not significantly different from the peer's self-reported deviance; however, when multiple regression analyses were used to examine the items, the items were related more strongly to the respondent's deviance than to the peer's self-reported deviance. The five items identified in this study were breaking into places, selling marijuana, selling hard drugs, rape, and relationship infidelity. Data for this study were obtained from a sample of undergraduate college friendship pairs (n=2,154 individuals nested within 1,077 dyadic friendships). Each pair of friends completed a questionnaire to self-report his or her own behavior and the perceived behavior of their own peers. Twenty-six deviance items were included on each survey. A series of regression analyses reduced the set of deviance items from 26 direct or indirect measures down to 5 direct or indirect measures. The analyses found that while these items did not significantly affect the respondent's perception of a peer's self-reported deviance, they were able to more strongly predict the respondent's deviance than the peer's self-reported deviance. Study limitations are discussed. Tables, appendix, notes, and references