Disagreeable and out of control: Applicability of the Big Five and low self-control in predicting offending

Abstract

PurposeDespite low self-control being identified as a strong criminological correlate, the psychological view of personality traits has been partly neglected within mainstream criminology due to assumptions made by the authors of low self-control that discount other trait predictors. Recent research though has begun to challenge this assumption with comparisons between low self-control and other personality constructs like psychopathy. However, one often overlooked set of predictors that merits further scholarly attention is the Big Five, and whether the Big Five exert differential independent effects beyond low self-control. MethodThe current study analyzes a sample of serious male juvenile offenders with longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance study. Using negative binomial regression, we assess whether the Big Five are significantly associated with three offending outcomes independent of low self-control and other common criminological variables. ResultsEvidence indicates that net of controls, low Agreeableness and low self-control emerge as significant and consistent predictors of self-reported offending. ConclusionsThe significance of these findings is that they cast doubt on the assumption of there not being significant personality differences in offending beyond low self-control. Further, this study highlights how the psychological view of personality traits overcomes several theoretical limitations of low self-control.