Upload
cristina-andreea-bunea
View
222
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
1/12
EXTROVERSION-INTROVERSION TRAITS AS DETERMINANTS OF JUVINILE
DELIQENCY
By
C.A. Daramola
Abstract
This study investigated the extent, which a measure of Extroversion-
introversion is related to juvenile delinquency. The design of the study was
influenced largely by a desire to penetrate deeper into the personality dimensions
of delinquents than most conventional studies in juvenile delinquency.
The following hypotheses were tested:
(i) there is no significant differences between juvenile delinquents and non-
delinquents on the introversion scale.
(ii) there no significant difference between female and male delinquents on the
extroversion scale.
(iii) there is no significant difference between delinquents in elementary schools
and those in secondary schools on the extroversion scale.
In all, 82 delinquents and 87 non-delinquents from juvenile welfare remand
home, Ibadan and approved schools, Iwo were used. The extend of extroversion
scale of Eysenck personality inventory (EPI), 1968. analysis of result statistic and
the level of probability adopted was 0.o5. while hypothesis (ii) was confirmed;
hypothesis (i) and (iii) were rejected. The results raise the possibility that a
significant degree of extroversion may be considered a function of delinquency.
Introduction
Many criminological studies have related involvement in juvenile
delinquency to a variety of factors, including school and home factors. Little
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
2/12
attention has been paid to this aspect of personality differences. Certainly,
understanding the personality traits of juvenile delinquents would enable us to
easily predict and identify youthful criminals. This will save a lot of money and
time that would be expended on arresting such a problem.
The specific question the present study sets to answer is whether any
specific personality traits have been observed more frequently among youths
who were, or who have become delinquent, This question becomes necessary in
an attempt to understand what developmental process account for the personality
traits that correlated with delinquency Then, the government can be better
organised and equipped to tackle the problem of indiscipline a maladjustment in
the country, if the government knows the factor in the different individual that
create a crime tendency in the nation.
A study of the enrolments in most Remand Homes in Nigeria shows that
there are more boys than girls. The question then is: Are girls less criminally
oriented, or are they more law abiding than the boys?
Apart from the officially registered delinquents, there are many
unregistered delinquents scattered here and there in different parts of the
country. If some care is not taken, our Remand Homes will soon be flooded with
delinquents. One aspect of the care to be taken in this regard is to identify the
underlying personality traits that are associated with the development of juvenile
'delinquency and nip the problem of delinquency in the bud by manipulating such
traits, to ensure social and personal. adjustment of our youths. This study is
therefore concerned was a comparative study of some personality traits as
determinants of juvenile delinquency.
Literature Review
Extroversion - Introversion traits are personality dimension identified by
Jung (1923) as ways of reacting to outer and inner, experiences. Jung in his
classification of individuals came up with two personality types. Extroverts and
Introverts. According, to him, each person' is both introvert and extrovert with one
part being more prominent than the other. From various available definitions, it is
obvious that juvenile delinquency traits do not fall into one simple homogenous
category. Lawyers believe that juvenile delinquents form a well-defined group,
psychologist sees it as one of the many aspects of that elusive concept known as
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
3/12
social maladjustment.
The following definitions bring out clearly a confusion which runs right
through the problem of knowing exactly who juvenile delinquents are. According
to Rubin (1949), "Juvenile delinquency is what the law says it is". This is in
agreement', with Power and Witner (1951) who saw juvenile delinquents as those
belonging to a particular age group who have been known to the satisfaction of a
court of law to have committed certain acts. A reference to biological innate
disposition offered by Lambrose (1918), makes his definition interesting.
According to him, delinquents are "moral idiots" who differed from normal
men in basic and born physical characteristics. Yet, in spite of all these
disagreements, the question of who is and who is not a delinquent is fundamental
to research in this field. Many psychologists have been concerned with defining
the particular personality traits which lead people to become delinquents.
Schuessler and Cressey (1950) reviewed 113 investigations and concluded that
delinquency and specific personality traits were not related.
Quay (164) found that there are particular types of delinquents who differ
from each other and have distinctive personality characteristics. In a related study,
Allopson and Feldman (1974) found that anti-social behaviour was positively
related to extroversion, neuroticism and psychotism and that school naughtiness
was positively related to extroversion and psychoticism. A similar study was
conducted by Siegman (1963) with male and female students. He found a positive
correlation between extroversion and anti-social behaviour in males but not in the
female groups. On education, Patnack (1963) in his study with 60 delinquent boys
found that most of them were either uneducated or with little education.
Research Questions
Arising from the review of literature and background to the study, the
following questions are raised:
(i) Are delinquents likely to score higher on the extroversion scale than
non-delinquents?
(ii) Would there be difference in the scores of male and female delinquents
on the extroversion scale?
(iii) would there be difference in the scores of delinquents
in elementary schools .and those in secondary schools on extroversion
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
4/12
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
5/12
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
6/12
Table 1
The Extent of Extroversion of Each Group
(N = 169)
Group No. of Scores Variance
Mean
Subjects on 2
EPI S
X
Delinquents 82 1044 16.78 1
2.73
Non-delinquents 87 983 4.95
19.29
Male delinquents 70 880 17.81 12.57
Female delinquents 12 164 15.7
13.66
Result
Hypothesis (i) was rejected because there was a statistically significant
difference between the two means (t=5.62 P.D5)
Table 2
Comparison of Delinquent and Non-Delinquent Subject on EPI
(Extroversion Scale) (N=169)
Delinquents Non-Delinquents
Nl Xl Sl N2 X2 S2 t
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
7/12
P
82 12.73 16. 78 87 11. 29 4. 95 5.62
0.5
Hypothesis (ii) was confirmed. There was no significant difference
between the mean scores.
Table 3
Comparison of Female and Male Subjects
on EPI (N=82)
Females
Males
2 2
N1 X1 S1 N2 X2 S2 t
P
12 13.66 15.7 70 12.57 17.81 0.70
(ns)
Hypothesis (iii) was rejected because there was a significant differences
between the two means Scores:
Table 4
Comparison of Delinquents in Elementary and Secondary Schools on
Extroversion Scale (N = 82)
Elementary
Secondary
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
8/12
N1 X1 S1 N2 X2 S2 t P
58 13.79 12.56 24 10.16 16.19 3.86 . 05
Implications of the Study
The problem of juvenile delinquency in our society calls for, an immediate
rehabilitation of our youthful offenders and an offer of assistance such that their
sufferings, misery and life wastage would be permanently removed. The study
further shows what in dealing with youngsters it is wise to be on guard against
certain kinds of overt behaviour that may indicate possible future difficulty. Such
behaviour may be symptomatic of pre delinquency in a given case.
With the findings from this study, it should be easy to predict and to
identify our youthful offenders. The government can be better organised and
equipped to tackle the problem of increased wave of crime in the country if the
government knows the factors in the different individuals that create a crime
tendency in the nation's youths. The results from this study have highlighted
the need for a 'better understanding of the personality structure of our juvenile
delinquents.
Since studies of delinquency have implications for the rehabilitation of
offenders and the prevention of delinquency in the society, a multi-faceted
team approach involving the home school, Guidance Counsellors, and
community agencies is vital in transform overt aggression as a positive effort
for communication and self I assertion into a positive stimulus control and
reformation.
Conclusions
From the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn:
(i) Delinquents exhibit higher level of extroversion traits than non-
delinquents.
(ii) Both male and female delinquents exhibits the same level of
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
9/12
extroversion.
(iii) Delinquents in elementary schools exhibit higher level of extroversion
traits than those in secondary schools.
Discussions on the Findings
(i) Delinquents were found to exhibit a higher level of extroversion traits
than non-delinquents. This result is congruent with other findings. For example,
Siegman (1963) found a positive correlation between extroversion and anti-
social behaviours in his study of boys in approved school. Eysenck (1969) also
found criminals to be on the whole both extroverted and neurotic.
It is not actually surprising that delinquents &exhibit a higher level of
extroversion traits than non-delinquents. One possible explanation for this is
that delinquents are generally children whose code of behaviours is based
purely on pleasure and pain principle which normally leads to immediate
expression of instinctive urges. Hence, it becomes easier for children with
personality disposition such as extroversion to engage in various forms of
anti-social behaviour because their types of solution to a problem would
always bring them into conflict with parents, teachers, police and others who
have more conventional solutions in mind. another explanation offered by
Eysenck (1953) could also be significant. According to him, "introverts learn
more readily and so come to absorb the rules of society than extroverts who
are only poorly socialised and are pre-disposed towards action rather then
thought"
(ii) There was no sex difference in extroversion traits of juvenile
delinquents. This finding was in agreement with that of Thompson and
Lazes (1976) that "the female delinquency was highly similar to the male
pattern of delinquency". However, there were some contradictory results.
For example, Siegman (1963) found a positive' correlation between
extroversion and anti-social behaviour in male but not in the female group.
In another study Cutman (1966) found that male delinquents showed higher
mean extroversion scores than 19 female ones.
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
10/12
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
11/12
Re-appraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 57, ( 1 ) 329 - 360 .
Cold, J.A. (1974). Behavioural change and personality variables in
delinquency. New Zealand psychologist.Vol. 3 (2), 56-6l.
Daramola, C.A. (1984). Comparative study of Some personality Determinants
of Juvenile Delinquency..An unpublished M.Ed Thesis Univ. of Ibadan.
Eysenck, H.J. (1963). On the Dual Nature of Extroversion. British Journal on
Soc. and Clin. psych. vol.2,(1),44-46. .
Sysanck, H.J. (1970). Reading in Extroversion and Introversion. London:
staple Press, Vol. 1-3. I
Gutman, G.M. (1966). Age and Sex Differences in Extroversion and
Neuroticism in a Canadian Sample, in British journal of soc. Clin
.psycho,128-129.
Hinkelman, E.A. (1953). Comparative Investigation of Differences in
Personality Adjustment of Delinquents. Journal and Education and
Research (46), 595 60l.
Jung, C. G. (192 3). Psychological types. London: Routledge Kegan and
Paul.
Lombroso, C. (1918). Crime, its causes and remedies, Boston:
Little First published in French.
Power, E. & Witner, H. (1951). An Expt in the Prevention ofDelinquency,
New York: The Cambridge Somerville Youth Study.
Quay, H.C. (1964). Dimensions of personality in delinquent boys as interred
from the factor analysis of case history data. Child
Developement:.35(2),479-484.
Ray, A.B. (1963). Differentiating delinquents from Non-Delinquents on some
aspects of interest.Journal of vocational and Educational
Guidance, 9 (5) 131 - 133.
Schussler, K. F. & Cressy, D. R. (195). Personality Characteristic of
Criminals.American Journal of Sociology, (55), 476-484.
Siegman, A.W. (1963). A Cross-Cultural Investigation of the relationship
between Introversion - Extroversion, Social Attitude and anti-
8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency
12/12
social Behaviour. British Journal and Clinical psychologists.
Vol.2, (3),196-207.
Thompson, R.J. & Lozes, J. (1976). Female Gang Delinquency. Corrective
and Soc. Psycho. and Journal of Beh. Tech. Method and
Therapy. Vol. 22, (3), 1- 5.
Vabaza, K.T. (1974). The relationship between some personality factors and
academic performance among some Nigerian Secondary School
Students.An UnpublishedM.Ed. Thesis University of Ibadan.
West, D. J. & Farrinton, D. P. (1973). Who Become Delinquents? London:
Heinemann.