ARE SOME PEOPLE CRIME‐PRONE? REPLICATIONS OF THE PERSONALITY‐CRIME RELATIONSHIP ACROSS COUNTRIES, GENDERS, RACES, AND METHODS*
Abstract
We examined the relation between personality traits and crime in two studies. In New Zealand we studied 18‐year‐old males and females from an entire birth cohort. In Pittsburgh we studied an ethnically diverse group of 12‐ and 13‐year‐old boys. In both studies we gathered multiple and independent measures of personality and delinquent involvement. The personality correlates of delinquency were robust in different nations, in different age cohorts, across gender, and across race: greater delinquent participation was associated with a personality configuration characterized by high Negative Emotionality and weak Constraint. We suggest that when Negative Emotionality (the tendency to experience aversive affective states) is accompanied by weak Constraint (difficulty in impulse control), negative emotions may be translated more readily into antisocial acts. We review additional evidence about the developmental origins and consequences of this personality configuration and discuss its implications for theories about antisocial behavior.
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Negative emotionality is associated with contemporaneously measured delinquency.
“Negative emotionality-a tendency towards depression likely related Neuroticism-is associated with contemporaneously measured delinquency.”
From Personality Psychology and Economics (2011) · cites this paper as Caspi, Moffit, Silva et al. [1994]
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References 60 · Cited by 438
- Authors
- CASPI, A., MOFFITT, T. E., SILVA, P. A., STOUTHAMER‐LOEBER, M., KRUEGER, R. F., & SCHMUTTE, P. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- University of Otago (NZ)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Venue
- Criminology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1994-05
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 163-196
- ISSN
- 0011-1384 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-9125
- OpenAlex
- W2033061014
- Cited by
- 438
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 27.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Criminology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- personality traits, delinquency, antisocial behavior, negative affectivity, constraints, impulse control, replication, gender differences, racial differences, adolescents, birth cohort
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