Heaven

• Background


  Strong evidence that personality variables were associated with criminal behaviour. He challenged Eysenck by suggesting that research suggests those who score high on neuroticism but not extroversion tended to be official offenders (convicted). Those who scored highly on extroversion but no neuroticism tended to score highly on self-report measures.
• Hypothesis

  Measures of psychoticism, extroversion and self-esteem would be significant predictors for self-reported delinquency.
• Design

  Longitudinal research. (Psychoticism, extraversion and self-esteem at the start of the study (time 1) were significant predictors of self-reported delinquency two years later (time 2).) Self-esteem was measured over neuroticism as the value of neuroticism in predicting self-reported delinquency was questioned.
• Sample

  282 adolescents (146 females and 136 males) from two catholic independent schools in New South Wales, Australia. Ages 13-15 (when the study began). They had the option of withdrawing from the study – no one chose to do so.
• Materials

  At time 1 and 2 they were provided with a set of questions taken from Eysenck’s questionnaire (measuring psychoticism and neuroticism), a ten item measure of self-esteem and a questionnaire for self-reported delinquency that assessed interpersonal violence and vandalism using a four point rating scale.
• Procedure

  All three questionnaires were checked for internal validity and scored well apart from the psychoticism scale. Participants were followed up after two years with 80% responding the second time around. Questionnaires were completed anonymously and students were told that their individual responses would not be made available to school authorities.
• Results:

  Males were more likely to engage in delinquency at times 1 (21.16) and times 2 (20.96) than females (18.71 and 19.58 respectively). A positive correlation between psychoticism and delinquency at both time 1 and 2. Extraversion correlated with delinquency only at time 2 and was a weaker correlation. Overall – strong association was found between psychoticism and various forms of criminality. Psychoticism was the best predictor of delinquency at times 1 and 2 (not as reliable as Heaven hoped).
• Conclusion:

  findings aligned with previous research showing that psychoticism is associated significantly with self-reported delinquency. However, the three independent factors tested in the study (psychoticism, extraversion and low-self-esteem) explained only a modest percentage of the variance of delinquency.  Therefore, other psychological factors, such as peer pressure, parents and personality could determine whether or not some children engage in delinquent behaviour.
• aim

  measures of psychoticism extraversion and self esteem are significant predictors of self report delinquency
• longitudinal study

  2 years - carried out over a long period of time.
• sample size

  282 adolescents 146 f 136 m
• how old?

  13 to 15
• where?

  2 catholic schools in new south wales australia
• questionnaire at

  beginning and end
• Measures

  Test booklet -

  set of questions from Eysneck's personality test

  10 item questionnaire of self esteem

  self reported questionnaire
• q to measure

  extraversion psychoticism and self esteem
• delinquency measured through

  closed questions
• how many surveyed after 2 years?

  80%
• results - who more likely to be delinquents in time 1 and 2

  males
• positive correlation between


  psychoticism and delinquency time 1 2
• extraversion correlated with delinquency

  in time 2 weaker correlation
• self esteem and delinquency

  no significant correlation
• what was the best predictor of delinquency?

  psychoticism
• conc


  findings support esynks theory links weak as other factors involved
• Cultural Criticism


  Sample was culturally bias so findings cannot be generalised.
• Criticism of the participants age


  The results may have been affected by age bias too old to evaluate the factors leading to delinquency.
• criticism of the sample size

  20% of participants dropped out of the study, may lead to bias results, which affects the validity.
• criticisms of the validity

  self reporting can lead to invalid data due to social desirability.
• criticisms for the lack of construct validity


  using simple closed questions and rating scales hides the depth of information