The use of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles with English young offenders

Abstract

Objectives. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) with a sample of imprisoned English young offenders.Method. The reliability and validity of the PICTS scales were investigated, and changes in scores on the PICTS scales over a 6‐month period were analysed.Results. The findings suggested that from a psychometric perspective the PICTS scales were not performing as well with young offenders as with adult prisoner samples. The indices of reliability and validity were of a moderate level. Test‐retest scores calculated over the 6 months showed little change on the PICTS scores.Conclusion. The use of the PICTS scales with young offenders is discussed with reference to previous research with adult offenders in England and North America.