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Description: Two empirically unresolved areas of study of Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) self-control theory are personality and gender. The theory states that personality is unrelated to self-control and crime, and prior studies have found that self-control operates differently for males and females. Using data from confined delinquents in the California Youth Authority (n = 791) and measures derived from the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory which is a superordinate measure of personality, the current study explored the linkages between self-control and institutional misconduct. MANOVA and negative binomial regression models showed that wards with lower self-control/self-restraint had greater levels of diverse institutional misconduct. However, self-control was predictive of misconduct in only three of ten multivariate models and only among males. Self-control was unrelated to institutional misconduct among females. Implications for theory and research on the general theory are provided.
Suggested Citation:
DeLisi, M., Beaver, K. M., Vaughn, M. G., Trulson, C. R., Kosloski, A. E., Drury, A. J., & Wright, J. P. (2010). Personality, gender, and self-control theory revisited: Results from a sample of institutionalized juvenile delinquents [Electronic Version]. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice,
6(1), 31-46.
Keywords: self-control, self-restraint, institutional misconduct, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory, personality
Date: Apr 12, 2010 | File Size: 144.81 Kb | Downloads: 2566