NCJ Number
51271
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 211-226
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A MULTIPLE INDICATOR PROCEDURE WAS USED TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THREE INDICATORS OF INTELLIGENCE AND THREE INDICATORS OF THEFT AMONG ABOUT 1,000 MALES ENTERING JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
Abstract
DATA COMPLETE ENOUGH FOR ANALYSIS WERE OBTAINED FROM 966 TO 1,517 CAUCASIAN ADOLESCENT MALES ATTENDING SCHOOLS IN WESTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIF. DATA WERE GATHERED BY QUESTIONNAIRE AND NOT ALL QUESTIONS WERE COMPLETED; THE LARGEST POSSIBLE NUMBER OF CASES WAS USED FOR EACH VARIABLE. THE MULTIPLE INDICATOR PROCEDURE DEVELOPED BY COSTNER IN 1969 IS EXPLAINED IN DETAIL, THEN IS USED TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THREE INDICATORS OF INTELLIGENCE (I.E., DIFFERENTIAL APTITUDE TEST VERBAL REASONING SCORES, DIFFERENTIAL APTITUDE TEST NUMERICAL REASONING SCORES, AND STANFORD-BINET INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT PERCENTILES) AND THEFT. THREE SELF-REPORTED INDICATORS OF THEFT WERE USED: THE TAKING OF ITEMS WORTH LESS THAN $50, THE TAKING OF ITEMS WORTH MORE THAN $50, AND TAKING A CAR FOR A RIDE WITHOUT PERMISSION. TWO INTERVENING VARIABLES WERE ALSO EXAMINED: THE STUDENT'S FEELINGS ABOUT SCHOOL AND LIKING FOR HIS TEACHER (TEACHER APPEAL). IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND THEFT WAS RELATIVELY WEAK (.192 TO .260). HOWEVER, THE ABSTRACT CORRELATION BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND TEACHER APPEAL LIES BETWEEN .266 AND .419 WHILE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TEACHER APPEAL AND THEFT LIES BETWEEN -.592 AND -.598. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MORE INTELLIGENT BOYS TEND TO LIKE THEIR TEACHERS MORE AND THOSE WHO LIKE THEIR TEACHER MORE REPORT LESS THEFT. FURTHER STUDIES ARE RECOMMENDED TO EXAMINE THIS RELATIONSHIP. DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS, TABULAR DATA NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)