Daniel Boduszek

Development and Validation of a Measure of Criminal Social Identity within a sample of Polish Recidivistic Prisoners

BACKGROUND Social identity is a well-established theoretical concept within psychological research; however, the role of criminal social identity has received far less research attention. One salient reason for the limited research relating to the concept of criminal social identity is the absence of a specific measure. AIM To develop and test the construct validity of a new measure of criminal social identity (MCSI) and to provide additional evidence relating to Camerons three-factor conceptualisation of social identity. METHOD The eight-item MCSI was used to collect data from recidivists incarcerated in high-security prison (N=312) to assess criminal social identification. These data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS Three alternative models of criminal social identity were specified and tested in Mplus 6, and results revealed that the data were best explained by a three-factor model of criminal social identity (cognitive centrality, in-group affect and in-group ties). CONCLUSION The current study is important in terms of future research in criminology and psychology because the MCSI provides the first reliable MCSI, which was developed and validated on a relatively large recidivistic prison sample.

Dimensionality and construct validity of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale within a sample of recidivistic prisoners

Purpose – This study aims to examine the construct validity and factor structure of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) using a sample (n ¼ 312) of Polish prisoners incarcerated in Nowogard High Security Prison. Design/methodology/approach – The number of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models under investigation was limited to two by virtue of employing a much stricter and more rigorously sound methodological procedure in which item errors were prevented from correlating, as suggested by Brown. Findings – Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the two-factor (positive and negative self-esteem) model provided a better fit for the RSES items than did the one-factor model. Originality/value – The results provide some initial support for the two-dimensional model that could possibly be measuring substantively separate factors within a prison sample, thus calling into question the one-factor solution of the RSES.

An Investigation of the role of personality, familial and peer-related characteristics in homicidal offending using retrospective data

Purpose – The current study seeks to assess the predictive utility of personality, family violence, associations with criminal friends, peer rejection, parental attachment, and parental supervision as predictors of homicidal behaviour among a sample of 144 male recidivistic offenders.Design/methodology/approach – This research project utilized a quasi‐experimental design with propensity score matching in order to minimize the effect of selection bias. Post‐matching binary logistic regression analysis was subsequently conducted in order to determine what factors predict homicidal behaviour.Findings – Post‐matching regression results indicated that experience of family violence, psychoticism, and parental attachments were significant predictors of being a homicidal murderer.Originality/value – The findings provide strong empirical support for the important role of early childhood experiences in the prediction of homicidal acts, along with the crucial role of personality (psychoticism). These findings provid...

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

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 ...

Intentions to Participate in Counselling among Front-Line, At-Risk Irish Government Employees: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

ABSTRACT The study set out to examine intentions to engage in counselling among at-risk Irish government employees and the differential utility of two alternative theory of planned behaviour (TPB) models of behaviour to explain intentions to participate in counselling. Individuals (N=259) employed in a front-line, at-risk occupation for the Irish government completed a TPB-based questionnaire. Quantitative analyses revealed that participants held positive to neutral intentions to participate in counselling, irrespective of gender. The original TPB model explained 49.9% of variance in intentions whereas an alternative TPB model, splitting the perceived behavioural control (PBC) construct between its internal and external control components, explained a further 8.9% of variance. Furthermore, self-efficacy was found to be the strongest predictor of intentions. This study therefore supports the use of the TPB in understanding counselling-seeking behaviour.