PERSONALITY AND SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY

A total of 100 non-delinquent young subjects were used to test predictions from Eysenck's theory that those with high delinquent self-report scores should also be high scorers on extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism. A significant positive correlation was observed between psychoticism and self-report delinquency scores, but the correlations between extraversion, neuroticism and self-report delinquency were non-significant. The results were in the predicted direction for extraversion but not for neuroticism thus only partially confirming the Eysenckian position. No significant differences were seen to exist between subjects' social class and self-report delinquency. Studies in this area, which have yielded highly equivocal results are reviewed and criticized. © 1991.