NCJ Number
199657
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 135-154
Date Published
2002
Length
20 pages
Annotation
In testing the theory of Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) that low self-control underlies a variety of antisocial behaviors, this study examined the extent to which low self-control accounted for variation in two types of behaviors: binge drinking and involvement in alcohol-related behaviors, including criminal behavior.
Abstract
Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory that there is a factor that underlies all sorts of antisocial behavior has drawn widespread and empirical attention. One of their most controversial concepts is a "generality" hypothesis, which holds that criminal, deviant, and reckless acts are highly correlated, because they are caused by individual differences in self-control. In testing this theory for binge drinking and alcohol-related behaviors, the current study administered questionnaires to a sample of 241 students (35 percent males and 91 percent White, aged 17-40) at a southern U.S. university. The measure of binge drinking was drawn from responses to the following question: "On a typical drinking occasion, how many drinks do you have from the time you start to the time you finish." Following previous definitions of binge drinking (Ichiyama and Kruse, 1998), the researchers dichotomized this measure as 0 (on average, four drinks or less at one sitting) or 1 (on average, five or more drinks at one sitting). Alcohol-related behaviors were measured by 11 items that asked respondents as follows: while drinking alcohol have you ever been in trouble with the police, been late to school, endangered yourself or others, drank more than you intended, got into fights, found it hard to stop drinking, missed school or work, had problems with a teacher, had problems with a friend, stayed at home or been late to school, and damaged your chances for a raise or a better job. A 24-item scale measured self-control, and gender was recorded. A probit model was used to test the effect of low self-control on binge drinking and on other alcohol-related behaviors. The study found that self-control exhibited a positive effect on both behaviors. Binge drinking and other alcohol-related behaviors are correlated, so a further analysis, using a bivariate probit model, was conducted with the use of a naive model (no covariates), an unconstrained model (allowing self-control to exert a unique effect on both outcomes), and a constrained model that forced self-control to be the same for both outcomes. The results suggest that although low self-control was a significant predictor of both binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, it did not fully account for the relationship between the two outcomes. In addition, separate estimation for each gender showed a substantively different pattern of results. Further research is needed to determine the differences between the genders. Situational factors, especially in males, may account for adverse alcohol-related behaviors. Other measures of self-control are also needed. 7 tables, 9 notes, and 37 references