NCJ Number
49000
Date Published
1976
Length
11 pages
Annotation
EVIDENCE AGAINST VIEWING DELINQUENCY AS A UNITARY SYNDROME OF DEVIANCE IS FOUND IN A STUDY OF ADOLESCENT MALES CLASSIFIED AS PSYCHOPATHIC, NEUROTIC, OR SUBCULTURAL DELINQUENT OR AS NONDELINQUENT.
Abstract
EACH GROUP OF YOUTHS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING: A TEST OF RESPONSES TO MORAL DILEMMAS; TWO COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT TESTS DESIGNED TO MEASURE CONCRETE AND FORMAL OPERATIONAL THINKING; AND A TEST DESIGNED TO ASSESS ROLE-TAKING ABILITY (COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN A NONMORAL SOCIAL SITUATION). THE PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENTS WERE MORE IMMATURE THAN THE OTHER GROUPS WITH REGARD TO MORAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENTS ALSO WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CONCRETE IN THEIR THINKING ON COGNITIVE TASKS, WHEREAS OTHER GROUPS EXHIBITED SIGNS OF EARLY FORMAL OPERATIONAL THINKING. THE PSYCHOPATHIC AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE NEUROTIC DELINQUENTS WERE DEFICIENT IN ROLE-TAKING ABILITY COMPARED WITH SUBCULTURAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE FINDING THAT PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENTS LAGGED BEHIND BOTH DELINQUENT AND NONDELINQUENT PEERS LENDS SUPPORT TO THE VIEW THAT PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENTS ARE LIMITED IN THEIR MORAL UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND IN THEIR CAPACITY TO ASSUME THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHERS. THE FINDING THAT NEUROTIC AND SUBCULTURAL DELINQUENTS WERE AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL OF MORAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS THEIR NONDELINQUENT COUNTERPARTS SUGGESTS THAT THE SOCIOCOGNITIVE MATURITY OF MANY ADOLESCENTS IS NOT HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH MORAL BEHAVIOR. NO TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)