NCJ Number
56130
Date Published
1978
Length
86 pages
Annotation
A HIERARCHICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF PERSONALITY, BACKGROUND, INTELLIGENCE, AND ACHIEVEMENT DATA ON 97 BLACK AND 336 WHITE MALE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ADMITTED TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN OHIO IS REPORTED.
Abstract
EMPIRICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING TYPOLOGIES IS DISCUSSED. THE TECHNIQUE OF HIERARCHICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS IS DESCRIBED AT LENGTH. WHEN THE TECHNIQUE IS APPLIED IN THE ANALYSIS OF DATA ON OHIO JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, A MAJOR CLUSTER EMERGES. THE SUBJECTS WHO CONSTITUTE THE MAJOR CLUSTER (LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF ALL SUBJECTS) DIFFER FROM OTHER SUBJECTS ON VARIABLES IN ADDITION TO THOSE THAT SERVED AS THE BASIS OF THE CLUSTERING. BOTH BLACK AND WHITE MALES IN THE MAJOR CLUSTER AVOID MOST SOCIAL CONTACT, ARE IMMATURE AND DEPENDENT, AND SCORE LOW ON INTELLECTUAL AND ACHIEVEMENT MEASURES. WHITE MAJOR CLUSTER MEMBERS ARE MORE APPREHENSIVE THAN OTHER WHITES AND HAVE COMMITTED FEWER OFFENSES. BLACK MAJOR CLUSTER MEMBERS DIFFER FROM OTHER BLACKS IN THAT THEY SCORE LOWER ON ENDURANCE, SOCIAL RECOGNITION, PLAY, AND NURTURANCE SCALES AND HIGHER ON THE SUCCORANCE SCALE. BLACK MAJOR CLUSTER MEMBERS APPEAR TO BE MORE INTROVERTED THAN OTHER BLACK SUBJECTS AND TO HAVE A GREATER NEED FOR PROTECTION AND CARE. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS DO NOT SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE STRONGLY DEFINED PERSONALITY TYPES WITHIN THE DELINQUENT POPULATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE MAJOR CLUSTER TRAITS AND TRAITS FOUND IN OTHER TYPOLOGIES OF DELINQUENTS. METHODOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY, BOTH FOR CLUSTER ANALYSIS IN GENERAL AND FOR CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF DATA ON JUVENILE DELINQUENTS SPECIFICALLY, ARE NOTED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)