Jon Fridrik Sigurdsson

Differences and similarities between violent offenders and sex offenders

OBJECTIVES To investigate differences and similarities between violent offenders and two types of sex offenders, rapists and child molesters, in terms of their personality, the nature of the victim, the role of alcohol, and their confession to their crime. METHOD Thirty-six adult sex offenders, 23 child molesters, and 32 violent offenders were compared on personality measures, their relationship with the victim, the presence of alcohol intoxication, their confession rate and retraction at trial, and the reasons they gave for having confessed to the police. RESULTS Child molesters and adult sex offenders (rapists) were significantly more introverted than the violent offenders. The child molesters had higher social desirability scores than the other groups, they tended to assault relatives and friends, they were rarely intoxicated while committing the offense, and they had strong internal need to confess to the police. Rapists and violent offenders were more commonly intoxicated during the commission of the offense; the former tended to assault acquaintances, where violent offenders most commonly assaulted strangers. Exactly half of the rapists retracted their confession when the case went to trial; in contrast none of the other offenders retracted their confession. CONCLUSIONS The results show that there are significant differences as well as similarities between the three groups of offenders, which have implications for assessment and treatment.

The relationship between satisfaction with life, ADHD symptoms, and associated problems among university students.

Objective: To ascertain whether ADHD symptoms, and associated problems, are negatively related to subjective well-being. Method: The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was completed by 369 university students, along with the Reasoning & Rehabilitation (R&R) ADHD Training Evaluation (RATE), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) Scale for current ADHD symptoms, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). Results: The SWLS was negatively correlated with all the other measures, and the strongest correlations were with the Total RATE score. A multiple regression analysis showed that the variables in the study accounted for 22% and 25% of the variance of the SWLS among males and females, respectively. Among males poor social functioning was the best predictor of dissatisfaction with life, whereas among females it was poor emotional control. Conclusion: Both ADHD symptoms and associated problems are significantly related to poorer satisfaction with life. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 12(6) 507-515 )

How frequently do false confessions occur? an empirical study among prison inmates

In this study all offenders admitted to Icelandic prisons over a one year period were approached and 229 (95%) agreed to co-operate with the study. Twenty-seven (12%) of the 229 subjects claimed to...

An epidemiological study of ADHD symptoms among young persons and the relationship with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use

BACKGROUND This study investigates the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and cigarette smoking, alcohol use and illicit drug use. METHOD The participants were 10,987 pupils in the final three years of their compulsory education in Iceland (ages 14-16 years). The participants completed questionnaires in class relating to anxiety, depression and antiestablishment attitudes, ADHD symptoms, smoking, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use. RESULTS Of the total sample, 5.4% met screening criteria for ADHD. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use were significantly related to ADHD symptoms. In addition, the number of different illicit drugs consumed was significantly higher among the ADHD symptomatic than the nonsymptomatic participants, including the illicit use of sedatives. The main distinguishing illicit drug substances were lysergic acid diethylamide (odds ratio or OR = 8.0), cocaine (OR = 7.5), mushrooms (OR = 7.1) and amphetamines (OR = 6.5). Logistic multiple regressions showed that after controlling for gender and school grade, ADHD symptoms predicted smoking, alcohol use and illicit drug use independent of anxiety, depression and antiestablishment attitudes. In addition, poly-substance use was linearly and incrementally related to ADHD symptoms with a large effect size. CONCLUSIONS The findings underscore the vulnerability of young persons with ADHD symptoms to smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use, possibly as a means of self-medication, and emphasize a need for early identification and treatment to reduce the risk of escalation.

Motivation for offending and personality

Purpose. The main aim of the study was to examine the relationship between motivation for offending and personality. Method. A specially constructed Offending Motivation Questionnaire (OMQ) was developed along the lines of Farringtons (1986, 1993) theoretical framework. The OMQ, the Mak Self-Reported Delinquency Scale, the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS), the Gough Socialisation Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (BAI-R) were administered to two groups of students: college students and university students. Results. Factor analysis of the OMQ revealed four motivational factors for offending (Compliance, Provocation, Financial, Excitement) and one further factor associated with the failure to appreciate the consequences of the criminal act. As predicted, the GCS correlated significantly with a compliance motive (i.e. being coerced, manipulated, or tricked into crime by a peer, or eagerness to please a peer), whereas the remaining four factors were associated with a low score on the Gough Socialisation Scale. External and Mental Element attributions were mainly found to be associated with provocation and consequences factors. Conclusions. The findings support the view that there is a relationship between the motivation for offending, failure to appreciate the consequences of ones actions and personality. Further research should focus on studying this relationship among criminal populations.

The relationship of compliance with coping strategies and self-esteem

Summary: The Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS), the COPE Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were administered to 212 men and 212 women. Multiple regression of the test scores showed that lo...

Insomnia in untreated sleep apnea patients compared to controls

Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often coexist, but the nature of their relationship is unclear. The aims of this study were to compare the prevalence of initial and middle insomnia between OSA patients and controls from the general population as well as to study the influence of insomnia on sleepiness and quality of life in OSA patients. Two groups were compared, untreated OSA patients (n = 824) and controls ≥ 40 years from the general population in Iceland (n = 762). All subjects answered the same questionnaires on health and sleep and OSA patients underwent a sleep study. Altogether, 53% of controls were males compared to 81% of OSA patients. Difficulties maintaining sleep (DMS) were more common among men and women with OSA compared to the general population (52 versus 31% and 62 versus 31%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Difficulties initiating sleep (DIS) and DIS + DMS were more common among women with OSA compared to women without OSA. OSA patients with DMS were sleepier than patients without DMS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale: 12.2 versus 10.9, P < 0.001), while both DMS and DIS were related to lower quality of life in OSA patients as measured by the Short Form 12 (physical score 39 versus 42 and mental score 36 versus 41, P < 0.001). DIS and DMS were not related to OSA severity. Insomnia is common among OSA patients and has a negative influence on quality of life and sleepiness in this patient group. It is relevant to screen for insomnia among OSA patients and treat both conditions when they co‐occur.

Confessions and denials and the relationship with personality

Purpose. The main aim of the study was to examine the reasons and personality factors associated with confessions and denials. It was hypothesized that antisocial personality traits and active involvement in criminal behaviour would distinguish true confessors and true deniers from false confessors and false deniers. Method. The participants were 1,080 students in further education in Iceland. Each was asked about false admissions made to teachers and parents in the past, as well as about confessions or denials (true and false) made to the police during questioning, and the reasons for having responded in the way they did. The participants also completed questionnaires relating to offending, personality and self-esteem. Results. One-quarter (25%) of the participants stated that they had in the past been interrogated by the police in relation to a suspected offence, of whom 59% said they had confessed. A small minority of those interrogated (3.7%; 1% of the total sample) claimed to have made false confessions to the police, whereas 10% claimed to have made false confessions to teachers or parents. Males were signie cantly more likely to report false confessions than females. False confessions and false denials were signie cantly associated with antisocial personality traits, with Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Psychoticism being the single best predictor. Those participants who made true confessions and true denials were most normal in their personality. Conclusions. Personality is a signie cant predictor of who makes false confessions and false denials.

Computer experience, attitudes toward computers and personality characteristics in psychology undergraduates

Abstract This study investigated computer experience, attitudes toward computers and personality characteristics in 149 first year psychology students at a Scottish university, 54 males and 95 females. Experience with computers appears to be the main determinant of students attitudes rather than personality variables or sex. Computer attitudes correlated most significantly with knowledge of a computer language, home computer use, programming, game-playing and word-processing use of computers, and statistics anxiety. Computer attitudes correlated significantly with two of seven personality variables studied, neuroticism and self-criticism. Sex differences for computer related variables were small and were only significant for computer attitudes, computer anxiety, knowledge of a computer language and programming computer use. Sex differences for emotionality, dependency, self-criticism, neuroticism and extraversion were more significant.

Symptoms of insomnia among patients with obstructive sleep apnea before and after two years of positive airway pressure treatment.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the changes of insomnia symptoms among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from starting treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) to a 2-y follow-up. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING Landspitali--The National University Hospital of Iceland. PARTICIPANTS There were 705 adults with OSA who were assessed prior to and 2 y after starting PAP treatment. INTERVENTION PAP treatment for OSA. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS All patients underwent a medical examination along with a type 3 sleep study and answered questionnaires on health and sleep before and 2 y after starting PAP treatment. The change in prevalence of insomnia symptoms by subtype was assessed by questionnaire and compared between individuals who were using or not using PAP at follow-up. Symptoms of middle insomnia were most common at baseline and improved significantly among patients using PAP (from 59.4% to 30.7%, P < 0.001). Symptoms of initial insomnia tended to persist regardless of PAP treatment, and symptoms of late insomnia were more likely to improve among patients not using PAP. Patients with symptoms of initial and late insomnia at baseline were less likely to adhere to PAP (odds ratio [OR] 0.56, P = 0.007, and OR 0.53, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION Positive airway pressure treatment significantly reduced symptoms of middle insomnia. Symptoms of initial and late insomnia, however, tended to persist regardless of positive airway pressure treatment and had a negative effect on adherence. Targeted treatment for insomnia may be beneficial for patients with obstructive sleep apnea comorbid with insomnia and has the potential to positively affect adherence to positive airway pressure.