NCJ Number
90246
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Very little attribution research has examined subjects' self-attributions for important behaviors. When asked to identify reasons for committing criminal offenses, 60 institutionalized male delinquents cited primarily situational factors.
Abstract
This tendency to explain delinquent behavior appeared to be independent of chronological age, and indicative of an unwillingness to accept responsibility. Delinquents generally rated their reasons for criminal offenses more favorably than their perceptions of a judge's reaction to their reasons, a difference positively related to age and negatively related to number of reported offenses. Results suggest that this evaluation measure may be a useful indicator of socio-cognitive maturity. (Resources in Education (ERIC) abstract)