Does self-control matter in late adulthood? A South Korean case

Abstract

The purpose of the current study is to examine the applicability of Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) self-control theory to traffic law violations among senior drivers in South Korea. A nationally representative sample of those aged 61 and over was taken from the Korean Crime Victim Survey. This sample of 961 older people was used to examine the effect of self-control on traffic law violations. A series of binary logistic regressions were carried out. Results showed that self-control was not a significant correlate of traffic law violations, while opportunity variables such as driving time on weekday and weekend had significant effects after controlling for demographic and other variables. The results imply that the effect of low self-control might be weaker for elderly people or for traffic violations. Policy implications have been discussed.