The role of personality in the relationship between criminal social identity and criminal thinking style within a sample of prisoners with learning difficulties

Daniel Boduszek; Gary Adamson; Mark Shevlin; Philip Hyland

doi:10.1108/20420921211236771

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Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour

ISSN: 2042-0927
Currently published as: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour

Online from: 2010

Subject Area: Health and Social Care

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The role of personality in the relationship between criminal social identity and criminal thinking style within a sample of prisoners with learning difficulties

Document Information:
Title:	The role of personality in the relationship between criminal social identity and criminal thinking style within a sample of prisoners with learning difficulties
Author(s):	Daniel Boduszek, (Based in the School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, UK), Gary Adamson, (Based in the School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, UK), Mark Shevlin, (Based in the School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, UK), Philip Hyland, (Based in the School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, UK)
Citation:	Daniel Boduszek, Gary Adamson, Mark Shevlin, Philip Hyland, (2012) "The role of personality in the relationship between criminal social identity and criminal thinking style within a sample of prisoners with learning difficulties", Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, Vol. 3 Iss: 1, pp.12 - 23
Keywords:	Criminal social identity, Criminal thinking style, Criminology, Learning disabilities, Moderated sequential multiple regression, Personality, Prisoners with learning difficulties, Psychology
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/20420921211236771 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Acknowledgements:	Special thanks to the Polish Prison Service for providing the venue for this study, particularly to Warden of Nowogard High Security Prison Mr Jerzy Dudzik and Mr Jacek Pedziszczak (prison educational officer) for assistance in survey application.
Abstract:	Purpose – Social Identity Theory proposes that identity and thinking style are strongly related. Research also suggests that the process of depersonalization is responsible for shifting from personal identity to social identity and assimilating group attitudes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of personality in the relationship between criminal social identity and criminal thinking style. Design/methodology/approach – The Measure of Criminal Attitudes, the Measure of Criminal Social Identity, and The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was administrated to a sample of recidivistic male prisoners with learning difficulties (n=312). Findings – Sequential moderated multiple regression analyses indicated the unique main effect of extraversion, psychoticism, in-group affect, and in-group ties on criminal thinking style. In terms of the moderating role of personality, the in-group affect was more strongly associated with criminal thinking for low levels of extraversion, whereas high levels of extraversion moderated the positive relationship between in-group ties and criminal thinking style. Originality/value – The findings provide the first empirical support for the moderating role of personality in the relationship between criminal identity and criminal thinking style of offenders with learning difficulties.