Abstract
The degree individual differences influence lower-level petty offending is unclear, as most emphasis in forensic research is upon sexual and violent offending. A sample of 114 shoppers completed measures of personality, attitudes to unethical consumer behaviour (UCB) and shoplifting. Those lower in emotional stability (ES), higher in extraversion ( E), and lower on agreeableness ( A), conscientiousness ( C) and intellect ( I) were more accepting of UCB and shoplifting. Attitudes to shoplifting and UCB were both best predicted by lower C, lower A, lower I and higher ES. A structural equation model found that a latent variable of dishonest consumer behaviour created out of UCB and shoplifting was predicted by low A and low C, whereas E and younger age predicted UCB alone. These results suggest that UCB reflects transient opportunism possibly reducing with maturation and education, whereas dishonest consumer behaviour involves generic predictors of anti-social tendencies.
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