Stephen G. Tibbetts

examining the role of differential association and techniques of neutralization in explaining corporate crime

A limited number of studies have examined white-collar offending decision making patterns and virtually none have focused on testing Differential Association or Techniques of Neutralization theory in particular. This study evaluates the offending decisions of MBA students to commit corporate offending in the promotion/sales of a hypothetical pharmaceutical drug. The sample consisted of 133 MBA students enrolled at a university in the United States. Findings supported predictions that anticipated agreement of coworkers and the board of directors would be positively associated with decisions to further market and produce a hypothetical drug that was about to be recalled by the Food and Drug Administration. However, results also showed that the decision to commit corporate crime was inversely related to perceptions that close friends and business professors agree with the decision, which went against predictions based on differential association theory. Several neutralizing techniques—especially the beliefs that government exaggerates dangers to the consumer and profit is the most important priority—predicted the decision to further market the drug. Subsequent analyses showed that older respondents were more likely to employ techniques of neutralization in decisions to commit corporate crime, especially techniques relating to profits. Future research directions are outlined.

Research Note: Are Life-Course-Persistent Offenders At Risk for Adverse Health Outcomes?

Moffitts developmental taxonomy of adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent offenders has received much empirical attention, with researchers focusing on the etiology and trajectory of offending between the two groups. Recently, Moffitt articulated a new hypothesis that has yet to be empirically assessed—that life-course-persistent offenders will be at high risk in midlife for poor physical and mental health, cardiovascular disease, and early disease morbidity. Using data from the Baltimore portion of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project, a longitudinal study of several thousand individuals followed from birth to ages 27 to 33, the authors test this hypothesis. We find that, compared to adolescence-limited offenders, life-course-persistent offenders are more likely to experience adverse physical and mental health outcomes. We also find that life-course-persistent offenders are more likely than their counterparts to be involved in antisocial lifestyles, which in turn increase the chances of adverse health outcomes. Future theoretical and empirical research directions are identified.

LOW SELF-CONTROL, RATIONAL CHOICE, AND STUDENT TEST CHEATING

Using scenario-based survey data from a sample of 330 university students, this study examined the effects of low self-control, rational choice variables, and control measures on intentions to cheat on a college exam. A moderate bivariate association was observed between low self-control and cheating intentions. However, a series of multivariate regression equations showed that low selfcontrol did not have a significant effect on intentions to cheat once the influence of other variables, especially anticipated shame, were controlled. Furthermore, findings supported the rational choice framework in explaining student decisions to cheat. Implications regarding these findings are discussed.

Differences Between Women and Men Regarding Decisions To Commit Test Cheating.

Few studies investigating student cheating havereported statistical tests of difference regarding theeffects of variables across gender. Using scenario-basedsurvey data from 598 university students, this study examined differences between womenand men in mean levels and effects of explanatoryvariables on intentions to cheat on a college exam.Findings showed significant gender differences in mean scores on measures of low self-control, shame,perceived external sanctions, grades, and cheatingintentions. Regression analyses showed that the effectsof morals and grades were more pronounced in predicting womens cheating intentions, whereas men weremore affected by prior cheating and perceived pleasureof cheating. Analyses further showed that higher levelsof anticipated shame among women and less self-control among men accounted for most of the variationin cheating intentions between women and men.

Assessing the relationship between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and age at first police contact

Several types of pre- and perinatal risk factors, such as maternal cigarette smoking, are related to various manifestations of life-course-persistent criminal offending. Studies have reported evidence of a relationship between maternal prenatal cigarette smoking and antisocial/criminal behavior. All of these studies, however, used white male samles, thus limiting the generalizability of research findings. In an attempt to overcome this problem, we employ data from the Philadelphia portion of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project to examine the possible link between maternal prenatal cigarette smoking and the age at first police contact in a cohort of African-American males and females followed through age 17. Logistic regression analysis indicates that maternal prenatal cigarette smoking has a significant effect on the age at first police contact, even with controls for a variety of other risk factors. Although maternal cigarette smoking significantly predicted early onset among males but not females, odds ratios suggest that the effect is quite similar across genders. Future research directions are addressed.

Gender differences in students’ rational decisions to cheat

Few rational choice studies of deviant behavior have reported statistical tests of difference in the effects of explanatory variables between men and women. Using scenario‐based survey data from a sample of 330 university students (171 women and 159 men), this study examined gender differences in levels and effects of explanatory variables on intentions to cheat on exams. Findings showed significant gender differences in mean scores of low self‐control, anticipated shame states, perceived external sanctions, grade point average, and reported test‐cheating intentions. Regression analyses showed that the effects of moral beliefs and perceived pleasure of cheating were significantly more pronounced in predicting womens cheating intentions, whereas men were more affected by prior cheating experiences and friends’ cheating behavior. Findings also indicated that anticipated shame states accounted for the association between gender and cheating intentions. These results are consistent with recent studies dealin...

Self-Conscious Emotions and Criminal Offending:

This study examined the relation of personality traits—shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, and pride—on offending behavior. Using survey data from a sample of 224 college students, the construct and criterion-related validity of scales of the Shame Proneness Scale, the Test of Self-conscious Affect, and the Personality Feelings Questionnaire-2 were assessed. Regression analyses showed that self-conscious emotions are important in the etiology of criminal offending. Specifically, rated pride was positively correlated with self-reported criminal activity, whereas ratings of guilt were negatively associated with offending. The relation of shame with criminality varied depending on the type of measure used to indicate proneness to shame.

A Biosocial Interaction in Predicting Early Onset of Offending

Research has shown several factors increase the likelihood of early onset of offending; however, interactions among prenatal risk factors and sociological factors in predicting early onset have been a neglected area of research. The purpose of this study was to test the interactive effect of material cigarette smoking during pregnancy and the absence of the father from the household in predicting early onset of offending. The longitudinal data utilized for this study of 215 inner-city, African-American youth offenders were taken from the Philadelphia portion of the Collaborative Perinatal Project. A logistic regression analysis indicated that the combined effect of maternal cigarette smoking and absence of father from the household had a significant influence in predicting early onset of offending beyond the direct effects of the independent variables while controlling for sex of youth.

The interactive effects of low self-control and commitment to school on substance abuse among college students

This study examined the combined influence of two predicting factors—low self-control and commitment to schooling—that research has shown have independent effects on substance abuse. In a sample of 598 college students, this study tested the interactive effects of these factors while controlling for other established predictors of binge drinking and drug use. Analysis showed that participants who had both low self-control and low schooling commitment had significantly higher scores on substance abuse than would be expected from the independent influences of the component factors, which suggests that the combined effects of these predictors on substance abuse have a greater influence than their direct influences.

LOW SELF-CONTROL, OPPORTUNITY, AND STRAIN IN STUDENTS’ REPORTED CHEATING BEHAVIOR

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that academic dishonesty in higher education has received much scholarly attention in recent years, only a small amount of this research has been based on traditional theoretical models found in the extant literature. This study examines the conditional effects low self-control, opportunity, and strain/frustration theories on explaining variation in students’ self-reported cheating. A self-report survey was administered to 289 students at the conclusion of the 1999-2000 academic year, asking them about their cheating behavior during the past year. The study found that measures of opportunity and strain/frustration had differential effects on reported cheating behaviors dependent on varying levels of low self-control among the participants.