NCJ Number
216342
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Dated: 2006 Pages: 23-36
Date Published
2006
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study investigated whether composite scales constructed from key Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) thinking style, factor, and content scales could provide a more reliable and consistent estimate of criminal thinking than the original PICTS thinking style, factor, and content scales.
Abstract
The results indicate that the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) composite scales possess some degree of research, practical, and theoretical value. Clinicians benefit from the fact that the PICTS composite scales are as stable and predictive as any of the individual thinking style, factor, or content scales and as such, are potentially useful in gauging an offender’s general level of criminal thinking. The results suggest that the Proactive and Reactive composite scales can be considered general markers of criminal thinking. It is recommended that the Proactive and Reactive scales be routinely scored in future research on the PICTS. Preventing crime requires an understanding of the factors that motivate it. Many attempts have been made to develop measures of criminal thinking. The PICTS is an 80-item self-report measure designed to assess the 8 thinking styles held to be instrumental in maintaining a criminal lifestyle. However, the absence of a general index of criminal thinking for the PICTS detracts from the instrument’s ability to predict future criminal justice outcomes and creates confusion for those interested in using the PICTS clinically. This study sought to determine whether the PICTS composite scales were capable of improving on the reliability, validity, and consistency of the thinking style, factor, and content scales, and provide a general estimate of crime useful in predicting crime, assessing change, and answering various theoretical questions about criminal thinking. Tables, figure, references