Jämförelse mellan en fängelse- och en icke brottsdömd population av deras samvetsgrannhet och psykopati

: en tvärsnittsstudie av skillnader och deras möjliga betydelse

Abstract

Previous research (e.g., Miller & Lynam, 2001) has shown that delinquents score loweron the personality trait conscientiousness than individuals who have not been convictedof a crime. However, a Swedish study (Eriksson, 2010) has arrived at the opposite result.Furthermore, there is some disagreement with regards to the causality betweenconscientiousness and psychopathy. This study aimed at investigating the differencesbetween convicted and non-convicted individuals as well as scrutinizing thecontradictions found in the literature. The primary purpose was to investigate if Swedishinmates in a maximum security prison differ from the general population with regards toconscientiousness. Also of interest was which facets of conscientiousness can predictpsychopathy in a Swedish criminal population. Associations between criminal behaviorand conscientiousness and psychopathy were also explored. A sample of prison inmatesand a control group consisting of Internet respondents (N = 257, Mage= 34.2, SD = 10.7)filled out the Swedish translation of Goldberg’s (1999) International Personality ItemPool (IPIP-NEO, Bäckström, 2010) and a newly developed psychopathy self-report scale.The group of inmates had on average higher conscientiousness levels compared to thecontrol group. More specifically, inmates rated themselves higher with regards to thefacets order and self-discipline, whereas the control group rated themselves higher ondutifulness. Psychopathy was found to correlate negatively with dutifulness, achievementstriving, and deliberation. The results indicate that the Five Factor Model (FFM) can beapplied to a Swedish prison population in order to assist researchers and psychologistswho are evaluating clients with instruments that measure criminal behavior andpsychopathy. However, items on the IPIP-NEO need to be adjusted so that the questionsfit the prison environment.