Criminologists have long observed an inverse relationship between personal religiosity and self-reported delinquency. However, some scholars would argue that the observed relationship is spurious. Two claims of spuriousness dominate. First, arousal theory argues that individuals vary in their demand for arousal. Those requiring high levels of stimulation are said to be bored with church but aroused by delinquency. Likewise, those who require less stimulation will find comfort in church and exhibit little delinquency. Second, it is charged that the negative effect of religiosity on delinquency is simply the by-product of general social control. Should other more proximate measures of social control be included, the impact of religiosity would wash out. The authors examine these two claims using self-report data from a sample of approximately 1,600 high school students in Oklahoma. OLS and LISREL analyses produce findings which reveal strong support for both claims of spuriousness. When controlling for both arousal theory and social control indicators, the effect of religiosity is reduced to insignificance in the case of assault, theft, vandalism, illicit drug use, and truancy, although it remains significant regarding the use of legalized substances (i.e., tobacco and alcohol). In addition to supporting claims of spuriousness in the religion-delinquency relationship, the authors' work demonstrates: (a) the primacy of self- and social controls, and (b) the utility of an arousal/thrill-seeking perspective in understanding causes and motivations for juvenile delinquency.

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Objective. This study examines the influence of beliefs about the cause of homosexuality on public policy attitudes concerning gay rights. Methods. Using data from the 1995 Oklahoma City Survey, we examine how beliefs about homosexuality as either a lifestyle choice or biological predisposition affect levels of support for gay rights. Results. Consistent with current debates over gay rights, our study reveals a strong positive association between biological attributions of homosexuality and support for gay rights. Opposition to gay rights is most pronounced among political conservatives, fundamentalist Protestants, persons with little or no favorable contact with gays, individuals who embrace negative stereotypes about gays, and persons with high scores on an index of homophobia. Conclusions. Etiological beliefs about homosexuality have a strong influence on public policy attitudes toward gay rights.Public policy attitudes are closely connected to attributions concerning the nature and cause of particular social problems (

Drawing on a diverse literature, we explain how criminal behavior is maintained through a process of nonsocial reinforcement, and show that some persons find criminal behavior particularly rewarding. We test our assumptions using surveys of 295 incarcerated adult felons and 150 male college students and intensive focus groups with 40 habitual offenders currently serving time. Results suggest that the experience of committing nonviolent and, particularly, violent crime is intrinsically rewarding and tends to reinforce such behavior among habitual criminals. The endogenous rewards identified center on (1) the neurophysiological high such acts produce and (2) the symbolic meaning of the behavior as it relates to self‐concept and identity formation. Findings from the surveys and the focus groups suggest that habitual criminality is sustained partly through the positive sensations (physiological and psychological) those crimes activate within the offender and that those sensations are instrumental in the maintenance and reinforcement of criminal careers. Based on what is known in the literature and what has been learned from our research, it seems that an effective way of integrating this knowledge lies in the direction of a nonsocial reinforcement arm of learning theory.

Following the lead of Grasmick and Bursik (1990), we propose that significant others and conscience both function as agents of social control to deter illicit behavior in a manner similar to that provided by the law and more formal, bureaucratic organizations. All three-conscience, significant others, and formal organizations-entail potential threats and costs (i.e., shame, embarrassment, and formal sanctions). Actors consider these potential threats and costs, and assess the certainty and seventy of them, in deciding whether or not to engage in criminal or deviant behavior. In the research reported here, data from a sample of undergraduate students are employed to examine the effects of perceived certainty and severity of shame, embarrassment, and formal sanction threats of the self-reported prevalence of involvement in a variety of forms of academic dishonesty. The results suggest rather limited support for the deterrencehational choice model, nearly all of which is due to the influence of conscience (shame).