Measures Of Criminal Attitudes Research Articles

Self-Reported Change in Antisocial Attitudes and Reoffending Among a Sample of 2,337 Males Convicted of Violent Offenses

Antisocial attitudes are among the strongest predictors of reoffending; however, there is little evidence to show that treatment-induced changes in antisocial attitudes correspond to changes in individuals’ risk of recidivism. This study examined relationships between within-treatment change in antisocial attitudes derived from the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) and reoffending among a large sample of males convicted of violent offenses ( N = 2,337). Residual change scores (RCS) and categories of clinically significant change (CSC) were used as indices of within-treatment change. A number of MCAA factor scores significantly predicted general and violent reoffending when assessed before and after treatment. RCS calculations of within-treatment change on the Violence and Antisocial Intent factors were also significantly associated with general reoffending outcomes. There was no evidence that within-treatment change on any measure had predictive validity for violent reoffending.

Sadism as a Key Dark Trait in the Link Between Football Fandom and Criminal Attitudes

Abstract. Football (soccer) fans, particularly those with active involvement in supporting clubs, are especially prone to violence and criminal behavior. However, there is a gap in literature regarding individual characteristics which lead to criminal behavior in this group. In the present research, we examined the Dark Tetrad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and criminal attitudes (Violence, Entitlement, Antisocial intent, and Associates) in a group of active football fans ( N = 128) and a control group ( N = 118). We were led by a hypothesis that psychopathy and sadism as the dark traits with highest associations with violence are more pronounced in football supporters and key traits to predict criminal attitudes. The results showed that football fans had higher scores in all criminal attitude scales as well as in trait sadism. Furthermore, membership in a football supporters’ group was the most important predictor of all four measures of criminal attitudes. However, Dark Tetrad traits contributed to the prediction as well: sadism was the most important predictor of criminal attitudes, followed by psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, while narcissism had the fewest associations with the criteria measures. Finally, sadism was the only dark trait which significantly mediated the link between club supporting and criminal attitudes. Study findings help in understanding personality profiles of football supporters and provide new knowledge of the role that the Dark Tetrad traits (especially sadism) play in violence and criminal involvement in general.

The Reliability and Validity of the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates and the Pride in Delinquency Scale in a Mixed Sex Sample of Justice-Involved Youth

It is unclear if self-report measures of criminal attitudes and associates—developed and validated predominately on adult male offender samples—can or should be used with justice-involved girls. With a sample of 300 justice-involved youth (100 females, 200 males), this study examined the reliability and validity of the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) and the Pride in Delinquency Scale (PIDS). Both measures evidenced reliability and convergent and discriminant validity in both sexes. The MCAA and the PIDS consistently predicted general recidivism for males (majority of area under the curve [AUCs; 7 out of 10] ranged from .60 to .68), but not for females (majority of AUCs [6 out of 8] ranged from .50 to .59). Both measures predicted violent recidivism across sex, with the majority of AUCs ranging from .60 to .67. More work is needed with exclusive female samples to better understand and operationalize criminal attitudes through a gender-informed lens.

Comparing the psychological characteristics of un-apprehended firesetters and non-firesetters living in the UK

ABSTRACTDeliberate firesetting research predominantly focuses on apprehended populations. In contrast, this paper focuses on the prevalence and characteristics of un-apprehended firesetters living in the UK. Social media was utilized to recruit 232 participants for an online questionnaire. Two hundred and twenty-five people answered a question relating to deliberate firesetting. Forty participants (17.78%) indicated that they had ignited a deliberate fire and were classified as un-apprehended firesetters. Firesetting was most common in childhood and adolescence. Relative to non-firesetters, un-apprehended deliberate firesetters were more likely to report; a diagnoses of a psychiatric illness, a diagnosis of a behavioural problem, having been suspended from school, a history of suicide attempts, experimenting with fire before the age of 10 years old, and having a family member who also ignited a deliberate fire. Un-apprehended firesetters also scored significantly higher compared to non-firesetters on the Fire Setting Scale and the Fire Proclivity Scale [Gannon, T. A., & Barrowcliffe, E. R. (2012). Firesetting in the general population: The development and validation of the Fire Setting and Fire Proclivity Scales. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 17(1), 105–122], the Fire Interest Rating Scale [Murphy, G. H., & Clare, I. C. H. (1996). Analysis of motivation in people with mild learning disabilities (mental handicap) who set fires. Psychology, Crime & Law, 2(3), 153–164], the Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory [Novaco, R. W. (2003). The Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory: NAS-PI. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services], the Boredom Proneness Scale – Short Form [Vodanovich, S. J., Wallace, J. C., & Kass, S. J. (2005). A confirmatory approach to the factor structure of the Boredom Proneness Scale: Evidence for a two-factor short form. Journal of Personality Assessment, 85(3), 295–303], and the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates Scale [Mills, J. F., & Kroner, D. G. (1999). Measures of criminal attitudes and associates: User guide. Unpublished instrument and user guide].

Characteristics of Interpersonal Hostile-Dominance in Psychiatric Inpatients

Objective: This study assessed the extent to which psychiatric symptoms and aggression-related personality as well as cognitive and affective variables predicted interpersonal hostile-dominance (HD) in psychiatric inpatients.Method: Two hundred patients admitted to hospital for psychiatric treatment were recruited, including 132 men and 68 women, with an age range of 19—64 years (M = 38.32 years, SD = 11.13 years). Each participant was assessed within five days of admission using the Impact Message Inventory-Circumplex (IMI-C), the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), the Schedule of Imagined Violence (SIV), the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the ability of psychiatric symptoms to predict HD, after controlling for the influence of psychopathy (Factor 1 [F1] and Factor 2 [F2]), trait anger, aggressive script rehearsal, and normative beliefs supporting aggression.Results: Psychopathy (F1 and F2), the tendency to rehearse aggressive scripts, and psychiatric symptomatology (PANSS Positive, Negative, Disorganized, and Excited) all predicted HD, with the final model explaining 71.30% of the variance in HD. Trait anger, positive attitudes toward violence, and PANSS Emotional Distress did not predict HD.Conclusions: HD reflects a characteristic tendency toward interpersonal, affective, and behavioral problems marked by hostility and dominance, combined with a tendency toward frequent aggressive script rehearsal and more severe psychiatric symptomatology.

Appraising, researching and conceptualizing criminal thinking: a personal view

It is argued that current interest in the concept of criminal thinking has its roots in traditional theories of criminology and criminal justice such as Sutherland's differential association model, neutralization theory, and Yochelson and Samenow's criminal personality. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review and summarize theory, research, and practice on criminal thinking as it relates to the author's work in this area. Three self-report inventories--the Criminal Sentiments Scale (CSS), the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS), and the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA); three principal areas of research--criminal thinking as a predictor of criminal behaviour, offence as a moderator of criminal thinking, and changes in criminal thinking leading to changes in criminal behaviour; and a general theory of criminal thinking are briefly reviewed in this paper.

Assessment of Criminal Attitudes

The present study investigated the criterion-related validity of two measures of criminal attitudes—the Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M) and the Pride in Delinquency Scale (PID)—among a sample of 141 Canadian federally incarcerated offenders. Eighty-seven offenders whose current conviction was for a violent offense and 54 offenders whose current conviction was for a property-based offense completed both measures and were compared. Scores on the measures also were evaluated against a variety of criminal history and postrelease measures. The results indicated that both the CSS-M and PID are significantly related to criminal behavior and can predict recidivism. The results also show that the CSS-M is a better measure among violent offenders, whereas the PID is preferred for nonviolent offenders. These results are discussed within the context of theory, research, and practice.

The Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified and Pride in Delinquency Scale

The present study explored the utility of two measures of criminal attitudes—the Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M) and the Pride in Delinquency scale (PID)—among a sample of 114 Canadian federally incarcerated offenders. The study examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the measures, administered as part of a prerelease psychological assessment. The results indicated that both are reliable and valid measures of criminal attitudes. Implications of the findings with respect to theory and practice are considered.

The relationship between attitudes toward social interdependence and psychological health within three criminal populations.

Summary Attitudes toward cooperative, competitive, and individualistic situations were correlated with a number of measures of criminal attitudes and thought patterns and psychological pathology. Three male-criminal samples from correctional institutions were included in the study: 62 juvenile inmates, 25 prisoners in a minimal security prison, and 36 prisoners in a maximal security prison. The results indicate that the more cooperatively oriented the inmates, the greater their psychological health; competitiveness had some relationship to psychological health; and positive attitudes toward individualistic situations were correlated with psychological pathology, alienation, and criminal attitudes and thought patterns. These results provide some indication of the possible long-term impact of the three types of social interdependence, extend previous research to criminal samples, and relate the literature on social interdependence with the literature on psychological health and criminality.