NCJ Number
48677
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (1968) Pages: 346-365
Date Published
1968
Length
20 pages
Annotation
USING A QUESTIONNAIRE AND A PSYCHOMOTOR TEST TO DETERMINE LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION, TEST RESULTS ARE CORRELATED WITH CRIMINAL HISTORIES OF YOUNG MALE OFFENDERS WITH REFERENCE TO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
A PSYCHOMOTOR TEST AND A QUESTIONNAIRE WERE ADMINISTERED TO A SAMPLE OF 197 MALE OFFENDERS BETWEEN 15.5 AND 21 YEARS OF AGE FROM LONDON AND SOUTHEAST ENGLAND. TESTS SHOWED THE SAMPLE TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THOSE OFFENDERS ADMITTED TO A REMAND CENTER AFTER CONVICTION AND PRIOR TO SENTENCING. THE PSYCHOMOTOR TEST WAS DESIGNED BY VENABLES. ESSENTIALLY, IT OPERATES UNDER THE THEORY THAT LEVELS OF DEPRESSION IN A SUBJECT CAN BE DETERMINED BY PSYCHOMOTOR RESPONSES EVIDENCED IN THE TEST. INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECTS WAS OBTAINED FROM INTERVIEWS USING A QUESTIONNAIRE, REMAND CENTER FILES, AND CRIMINAL RECORDS. FROM THE TOTAL OF 197 SUBJECTS INTERVIEWED, 171 COMPLETE RECORDS WERE OBTAINED. PSYCHOMOTOR RESULTS WERE CORRELATED WITH GENERAL INTELLIGENCE, RECIDIVISM, CULTURAL VARIANTS, TYPE OF CRIME COMMITTED AND VIOLENCE REFERENCES REVEALED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRES. OCCUPATIONAL STATUS AND AIM WERE COMPARED ALSO TO TYPE OF CRIME COMMITTED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT RECORDS WHICH INCLUDE CONVICTION ARE ASSOCIATED POSITIVELY WITH DEPRESSION AS MEASURED BY PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR RESPONSE SPEED AND MORE PARTICULARLY WITH REACTIVE DEPRESSION, MEASURED BY MANNER OF PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR REACTION TO STRESS. FRUSTRATION OF OCCUPATIONAL AIM WAS OBSERVED IN MANY OF THE SAMPLE, AND THIS FRUSTRATION APPARENTLY IS CORRELATED WITH ASSAULTIVE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. NO RELATIONSHIPS AMONG GENERAL INTELLIGENCE, RECIDIVISM, AND PSYCHOMOTOR RESPONSE WERE FOUND. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH REFERENCES. (RCB)