Correlations Between Criminal Law and Psychometric Indicators of Persons Convicted for Terrorism and Extremism: Analysis Results

Abstract

The goal of the study was to identify the significant (correlation coefficient from 0,6 and higher) positive and negative correlations between criminal law and psychometric characteristics of persons convicted for crimes of terrorism and extremism who are serving their sentences in penal institutions. The correlations between the psychometric (test, psychological) indicators of criminals and their criminal law characteristics, especially quantitative ones, are significant for understanding the causes connected with the personality of a criminal in general and those contributing to crimes of terrorism and extremism in particular. The hypotheses (ideas) regarding the nature of committing terrorist and extremist crimes required a mathematical-statistical verification. A considerable amount of empirical material was collected, it includes psychodiagnostics test results of 700 persons belonging to category under consideration, as well the results of analyzing their criminal law characteristics found in the courts’ judgements (sentences) concerning the terrorist and extremist crimes they committed. Later, by using a statistical-mathematical method, the author identified significant positive and negative correlations between the analyzed characteristics. Their interpretation revealed a logical inter-sectoral connection between a number of psychological and criminological indicators that are mutually complimentary. These connections became the basis for defining specific measures that could contribute to effective correctional influence on inmates of penal institutions serving sentences for crimes of terrorism and extremism.