NCJ Number
70201
Journal
Social Behavior and Personality Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (1977) Pages: 157-167
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A study examines the effectiveness of the Eysenck Junior P.I. questionnaire in discriminating delinquents from nondelinquents, taking into account evaluative and hypothesis-testing problems.
Abstract
The Eysenck Junior P.I. questionnaire was administered to groups of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized delinquents and to nondelinquents. Scores were evaluated at scale and item level by discriminant analysis. A further analysis of discriminant items produced new, emprirically validated dimensions which, when reapplied to a discriminant function program, allowed examination of their relative effectiveness in the (posterior) prediction of group membership. Additional hypotheses from Eysenck's theory concerning the behavior of items with more homogeneous subgroups within the larger delinquent sample were examined. Of 38 items discriminating delinquents from Nondelinquents, 15 were found to define 6 discriminant factors called (1) neuroticism/Depression; 2) Social Adjustment/Sensitivity; 3) Psychoticism; 4) Impulsivity; 5) Social Extraversion; and 6) Delinquency/Social nonconformity. Two largely congruent 'second order' factors were identified as Extraversion and Neuroticism. But a third second-order factor differed markedly between the two samples. Theoretical implications are discussed. Tables and 28 references are provided.