Self-report study of impulsive and delinquent behavior in college students

Abstract

Purpose: This self-report study of college students sought to examine the relationship between risk-taking and delinquent behavior, to develop reliable measures of impulsiveness and attraction to thrill-seeking and risk-taking, and to measure the relationships among conventional correlates of delinquent behavior, personality factors, and delinquent behavior itself. Methods: A sample of 296 undergraduate college students completed questionnaires pertaining to delinquent behavior and other activities, identification with educational goals and behavior, and attraction to thrill-seeking and risk-taking behavior, as well as items from the Self-Control and Socialization scales of the California Personality Inventory. Results: Males who measured high in thrill-seeking behavior and low in self-control reported significantly more property delinquency. Interpersonal delinquency was most influenced by a lack of self-control. There was a negative correlation between substance abuse and socialization. The reasons most often given for property and substance delinquency were “fun/thrills” while those most often given for interpersonal delinquency involved “anger/revenge.” Conclusion: Variables representing conventional sociological theories have often been treated as the immediate causal factors in juvenile delinquency, but their impact may be mediated through factors such as impulsiveness and an attraction to thrill-seeking and risktaking.