DELINQUENCY, THE WECHSLER P

• NCJ Number: 45811
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: (1974) Pages: 331-335
• Author(s): J M ANDREW
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Clinical Psychology Publishing Co
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY OF PROBATIONERS EQUATES THE WECHSLER PERFORMANCE (P) GREATER THAN VERBAL (V) SCORE SIGN WITH THE SUBTYPES OF THE INTERPERSONAL MATURITY (I)-LEVEL SYSTEM OF DELINQUENT CLASSIFICATION.

Abstract

PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS ESTABLISHED THE VALIDITY OF THE PSYCHODIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF THE P GREATER THAN V SIGN: DELINQUENT POPULATIONS TEND TO PERFORM BETTER ON THE PERFORMANCE THAN ON THE VERBAL SUBTESTS OF THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALES. HOWEVER THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE STRENGTH OF THIS SIGN AND DELINQUENCY SUBGROUPS HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE WECHSLER SCALES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 112 PROBATIONERS OF VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 11 AND 37 WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CLASSIFIED USING THE I-LEVEL SYSTEM. THIS POPULATION REPRESENTED A PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME GROUP OF PROBATIONERS WHOSE OFFENSES RANGED FROM SMOKING IN SCHOOL TO VOLUNTARY HOMICIDE. AS IN PREVIOUS STUDIES, THE TOTAL SAMPLE SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT P GREATER THAN V SIGN WHEN COMPARED WITH GENERAL POPULATION NORMS. FURTHER, THE SIGN RELATED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE I-LEVEL, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE WAS GREATER WHEN THE I-LEVEL SUBGROUPS WERE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE SUBGROUPS SUCH AS 'MANIPULATOR' OR 'NEUROTIC ANXIOUS' WHO RELY HEAVILY ON VERBAL ABILITY. FINDINGS INDICATE, THEN, A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMATURITY AND THE SIGN, AND SUGGEST THAT VERBAL COMPONENTS MAY BE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DELINQUENCY. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT VERBAL ABILITY MAY RELATE TO VICARIOUS ACTING OUT. BEHAVIORS, WHILE PERFORMANCE ABILITY MAY RELATE TO MORE PHYSICAL ACTING OUT. A TABLE PRESENTING THE MEAN P GREATER THAN V SIGN AND THE STANDARD DEVIATION FOR THE SIX I-LEVEL SUBTYPES TESTED IS INCLUDED. POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR DELINQUENCY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS FOR ASSESSMENT, ARE BRIEFLY SUGGESTED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE MADE, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)