The Self-Control Construct in the General Theory of Crime: An Investigation in Terms of Personality Psychology

Abstract

The general theory of crime has been one of the most influential contributions to criminology of the last decade. Since its formulation, a number of self-report scales have been developed for assessing self-control, the central construct of the theory. The present study collected data from a sample of Spanish university students and another of Spanish adolescents, with the aim of investigating (1) the components of self-control evaluated by the different scales, (2) relationships between the components of self-control and antisocial behavior, (3) the relationship between the components of self-control and the factors and facets of the Five-Factor Model of personality. Our results indicate that self-control, as evaluated by self-report scales, comprises five components, which show differing relationships with antisocial behavior and personality factors. At the most fundamental level, self-control appears to correspond to constructs that are well known in personality psychology, and indeed insights drawn from this field may prove useful for understanding the nature and origins of self-control.