Heaven's Study:Criminal Personality and delinquency

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Designed with one specific aim in mind: To test the model that psychoticism, extroversion and self-esteem at Time 1 are significant predators of self-reported delinquency two years later. It was decided to include self-esteem rather than neuroticism because: (a)research questioned the value of N in predicting self-reported delinquency, (b) Low self esteem is often regarded as a facet for neuroticism.

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

282 13-15 years old attending 2 catholic high schools in Australia; 235 participants completed the second follow up questionnaire two years later.

Question 3

Design

Answer 3

Longitudinal design during which data was gathered using self-report methods at two time periods (2 years apart).

Question 4

Hypothesis

Answer 4

Measure of psychoticism, extraversion and self-esteem are significant predators over time of self-report delinquency.

Question 5

Materials

Answer 5

Students completed a questionnaire booklet which measured the following:

• Psychoticism and extraversion
• Self esteem
• Self reported delinquency

Question 6

Procedure

Answer 6

• All students in the respective classes were tested and although they had the option of withdrawing, none of them did.
• Students were tested at Time 1 and again at Time 2
• Questionnaires were completed anonymously during class time. Numbers were printed on the questionnaire to allow follow up.
• Students were assured of confidentiality of their responses.
• Questionnaires took about 30-40 minutes to complete

Question 7

Findings

Answer 7

• Males were more likely than females to engage in delinquency both time points.
• Psychoticism was correlated with delinquency at both time points.
• Extraversion only correlated with delinquency at time point 2.
• The measures of psychoticism, extraversion and low self esteem, only explained modest percentage of the variance in delinquency so their influence seemed weak.

Question 8

Conclusion

Answer 8

• The findings did not show any significant support for the hypothesis.
• Although 3 personality factors may be correlated with self-report delinquency they can’t be said to be the cause.
• Psychoticism had the strongest effect of the three personality factors.

Question 9

Control Variables

Answer 9

-All participants took the same questionnaire with the same questions on in time 1 and 2.
-All the participants were the same both times

Question 10

Criticism

Answer 10

• Sample was culturally biased.
• Results may have been affected by age bias.
• The participants who dropped out of the study by time 2 may have affected the results.
• The use of self-report can lead to invalid data.
• The use of closed questions can be criticised for lack of construct validity.
• They may have lied in the questionnaire to gain social desirability bias