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Exploring the Relationship Between Personality Traits and Criminal Behavior

This article investigates the association between specific personality traits and criminal behavior. It delves into the concept of a "criminal personality," referencing definitions from dictionaries and findings from notable studies, including Eysenck's traits and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). The analysis covers constructs such as Negative Emotionality and Constraint, and their links to delinquency. It also discusses Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and psychopathy, highlighting their prominent features, treatment outcomes, and the neurological underpinnings associated with criminal behavior.

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Exploring the Relationship Between Personality Traits and Criminal Behavior

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  1. Personality and Crime Are certain personality traits related to crime and deviance? Is there a “criminal personality?”

  2. What is a “Personality?” • Webster’s dictionary: “The totality of distinct traits of a particular person.” • Eysenck (1991) Traits = consistent characteristics of people that are relevant to wide variety of behavioral domains. 1. Stable over time. 2. Cross-sectional consistency

  3. Measuring Personality • General Standardized Tests • MMPI (Minnesota Muliphasic Personality Inventory) • Pd • CPI (California Personality Inventory) • So • MPQ (Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire

  4. Personality and Crime • Pd (MMPI) and So (CPI) are related to criminal offending, but… • Questions in Pd and So include delinquency, probation and parole violations… • These scales were differentiate identify criminals • MPQ yields 3 “super factors” • Constraint • Negative Emotionality • Positive Emotionality

  5. MPQ traits and factors • CONSTRAINT: • Traditionalism: desires a conservative social environment, endorses high moral standards • Harm Avoidance: avoids excitement and danger, prefers safe activities even if they are tedious • Control: is reflective, cautious, careful, rational, planful • NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY • Aggression: hurts others for advantage; will frighten and cause discomfort for others • Alienation: feels mistreated, victimized, betrayed, and the target of false rumors • Stress Reaction: is nervous, vulnerable, sensitive, prone to worry

  6. MPQ traits and factors • POSITIVE EMOTIONALITY • Achievement: works hard; enjoys demanding projects and working long hours. • Social Potency: is forceful and decisive; fond of leadership roles • Well-Being: has a happy, cheerful disposition; feels good about self and sees a bright future • Social Closeness: is sociable, likes people and turns to others for comfort

  7. MPQ and Crime • Caspi et al. (1994) • Kids from Pittsburgh, and adolescents from Dunedin, New Zealand • Research Question: Do MPQ personality constructs relate to crime and delinquency (Self-reported, official, parent/teacher reports). • Findings: Negative Emotionality and Constraint related to crime. • Delinquents = high negative emotionality and low constraint

  8. What determines personality? • Eysneck • Largely inherited • Caspi et al. • Constraint is instilled by parents • Negative emotionality may have neurobiological underpinnings

  9. A “criminal personality?” • Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) from DSM-IV 1. Disregard for the rights of others. At least three of the following: behaves in a way that is grounds for arrest, deceitful and manipulative, impulsive, aggressive, irresponsible, lack of remorse 2. Age 18 or older 3. A history of child conduct disorder 4. Antisocial behavior not a product of schizophrenic episode

  10. “Psychopaths”

  11. The “psychopath” • Hervey Cleckley’s (1982) The Mask of Sanity • Key features: Manipulative, Superficial charm, Above-average intelligence, Absence of psychotic symptoms, Absence of anxiety, Lack of remorse, Failure to learn from experience, Egocentric, Lack of emotional depth • Other Characteristics: Trivial Sex life, Unreliable, Failure to follow a life plan, Untruthful, Suicide attempts rarely genuine, Impulsive, Antisocial behavior

  12. Recent work on Psychopaths • Robert Hare (Canadian Psychologist) • Hare PCL (now PCL-R) • Score characteristics (from Cleckley) on 0-2 scale based on INTERVIEW • Draw “cut-off” for psycho status (28-32) • PCL Findings • 10 to 25% of inmates are psychopaths • Psychopaths do not benefit from any treatment • Psychopaths do not learn in the same manner as others • Psychopaths may be biologically different from others

  13. Psychopaths in Treatment • Rice, Harris, and Cormier (1992) • Assessed the effectiveness of a therapeutic community program for psychopaths and non • “Violent recidivism rate” • NON-Psychopaths • Treatment = 22%; No treatment = 39% • Psychopaths • Treatment = 77%; No treatment = 55%

  14. Differences between Psychopathic inmates and non • Language / Speech • Logical inconsistencies • Language is superficial; can’t grasp abstract/deep • Affection / Emotional • Know “rules of game” but can’t appreciate the emotional significance of situations • Neurological • Cortical arousal, heart rate, CNS differences • Hare (1996): “Half-formed conscience”

  15. Research Examples • Psychopaths do not learn as quickly • Played longer in computer card game with declining chances of success • Speech Differences • Williamson (1991): scored audiotaped interviews with offenders for cohesion/coherence • Psychopaths less coherent; get “off track”

  16. Issues in Psychopathy • Difference in “kind” or “quantity?” • Does everyone have a little psychopathy? • Psychopaths that escape detection? • Study in prison (high base rate, access to records) • How do you get a sample of psychopaths? • Primary vs. Secondary? • Can some psychopaths turn emotion on and off?

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