HOMOGENEITY OF THE QUAY AND PETERSON SCALES FOR MEASUREMENT OF PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 65980
• Journal: AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: (AUGUST 1978) Pages: 147-153
• Author(s): M J MARRIOTT; H G LAW; D J PERRY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77-A1-15-AA-01
• Corporate Author: Australian Psychological Soc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

THE HOMOGENEITY OF THE QUAY AND PETERSON SCALES FOR MEASUREMENT OF PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENCY WAS TESTED IN AUSTRALIA USING BOTH THE CITY OF MIAMI AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT.

Abstract

THE SUBJECTS WERE ALL AUSTRALIANS FROM 12 TO 16 YEARS OLD. SIXTY-NINE WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS AND 230 WERE SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. A SLIGHTLY ALTERED VERSION OF THE QUAY AND PETERSON QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO MAKE THE ITEMS UNDERSTANDABLE TO YOUNGER SUBJECTS AND THE VOCABULARY FAMILIAR TO AUSTRALIANS. THREE TYPES OF ANALYSIS WERE PREFORMED: IMAGE COVARIANCE ANALYSIS, CALCULATION OF AN INDEX OF INTERNAL CONSISTENCE RELIABILITY, AND SEPARATE FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THREE ITEM SETS PROPOSED 2 HOMOGENEOUS SCALES BY QUAY AND PETERSON. RESULTS INDICATED THAT A THREE-FACTOR REPRESENTATION OF ATTITUDES (PSYCHOPATHIC, NEUROTIC, AND SUBCULTURAL) MEASURES WAS NOT ADEQUATE AND THREAT THE ITEMS COULD NOT BE SEEN TO REPRESENT THREE HOMOGENEOUS SCALES. NEVERTHELESS, RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A CORE OF ITEMS ON EACH SCALE WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN AUSTRALIA. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE STUDY'S RESULTS. A THOROUGH REVISION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE WOULD BE NECESSARY BEFORE IT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR DELINQUENCY RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA. TABLES, A FOOTNOTE, A REFERENCE NOTE, AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)