NCJ Number
65894
Journal
Journal of Security Administration Volume: 2 Issue: 1 AND 2 Dated: (1979) Pages: 30-39
Date Published
1980
Length
10 pages
Annotation
METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM RESEARCH TO DETERMINE ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARD THEFT AND THEFT ADMISSIONS MADE IN A PREEMPLOYMENT POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION.
Abstract
SUBJECTS WERE 470 PERSONS APPLYING FOR JOBS INVOLVING ACCESS TO MONEY, MERCHANDISE, AND OTHER BUSINESS PROPERTY. THE SAMPLE CONTAINED A BALANCE OF AGE, RACE, SEX, AND OCCUPATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. ALL JOB APPLICANTS WERE GIVEN THE PERSONNEL SECURITY INVENTORY (PSI-5) BEFORE TAKING THE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION. THE PSI-5 HAS TWO MAIN PARTS--PERSONAL HISTORY INFORMATION AND 120 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS MEASURING ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS TOWARD THEFT, VIOLENCE, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND EMOTIONAL STABILITY. IN THIS RESEARCH, THE RELEVANT MEASURE WAS ATTITUDE TOWARD THEFT. THE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PSI-5 SOUGHT ADMISSIONS OF PRIOR THEFTS. SUBJECTS WERE PLACED IN ONE OF SIX CATEGORIES BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF THEFT ADMISSIONS. THOSE WHO MADE SIGNIFICANT THEFT ADMISSIONS IN THE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION TENDED TO HAVE HIGH SCORES ON THE DISHONESTY SCALE OF THE PSI-5. THEY PERCEIVED THEMSELVES AS 'AVERAGE' PEOPLE IN A DISHONEST WORLD, WERE LESS PUNITIVE TOWARD THEFT, AND TENDED TO AGREE WITH COMMON RATIONALIZATIONS FOR THEFT. THOSE MAKING FEW ADMISSIONS OF THEFT IN THE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION TENDED TO HAVE LOW SCORES ON THE DISHONESTY SCALE, VIEWING THEMSELVES AS ABOVE 'AVERAGE' IN AN ESSENTIALLY HONEST WORLD, AND TENDED TO BE PUNITIVE TOWARD THEFT AND IN DISAGREEMENT WITH COMMON RATIONALIZATIONS FOR THEFT. RESEARCH RESULTS SUGGEST THAT MEASUREMENTS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THEFT CAN DETERMINE PAST OR POTENTIAL THEFT BEHAVIOR. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)