Testing the Core Empirical Implications of Gottfredson and Hirschi's General Theory of Crime

Abstract

In A General Theory of Crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi propose that low self-control, in interaction with criminal opportunity, is the major cause of crime. The research reported in this article attempts to test this argument while closely following the nominal definitions presented by Gottfredson and Hirschi. A factor analysis of items designed to measure low self-control is consistent with their contention that the trait is unidimensional. Further, the proposed interaction effect is found for self-reported acts of both fraud and force (their definition of crime). Inconsistent with the theory are (a) the finding that criminal opportunity has a significant main effect, beyond its interaction with low self-control, on self-reported crime and (b) the substantial proportion of variance in crime left unexplained by the theoretical variables. Suggestions are offered for modifying and expanding the theory.

Accounting for Projection Bias in Models of Delinquent Peer Influence: The Utility and Limits of Latent Variable Approaches

“…By controlling for self-control, then, in some measure our models account for previous criminal behavior. Self-control was therefore included in our primary respondent survey and was measured with the scale created by Grasmick et al (1993). Responses were measured on a four point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ("Strongly disagree") to 4 ("Strongly agree") and with high scores indicating low self-control.…”

“…Responses were measured on a four point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ("Strongly disagree") to 4 ("Strongly agree") and with high scores indicating low self-control. Based on Gottfredson and Hirschi's discussion of the major dimensions of low self-control (see also Grasmick et al, 1993), we constructed six subscales, each reflecting one of the six dimensions of self-control and each calculated as the mean of its four constituent items.…”

Unpacking the Influence of Neighborhood Context and Antisocial Propensity on Violent Victimization of Children and Adolescents in Chicago

“…Following past research (Gibson et al, 2009;Gibson, Sullivan, Jones, & Piquero, 2010), a seventeen-item measure of behavioral indicators of low self-control was constructed using the Emotionality, Activity, Sociability, and Impulsivity (EASI) temperament survey. Administered during wave 1 interviews, primary caregivers were asked to report on their child's inhibitory control, decision making, risk and sensation seeking, and diligence or persistence in completing tasks (see also Buss & Plomin, 1975; see Appendix B for individual items), which are consistent with Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) definition of self-control, as well as past empirical research (see Grasmick, Tittle, Bursik, & Arneklev, 1993) 11 .…”

Influencia del grupo de Pares delincuentes en la implicación del adolescente en la delincuencia.

“…En efecto, el paso al acto criminal no se produce en un entorno donde las oportunidades para cometer un delito son inexistente. Por eso ahora, las versiones más recientes de la teoría tienden a vincular esta predisposición con las oportunidades que encuentran en su medio ambiente los adolescentes (GrasmickTittle, Bursik & Arneklev, 1993). Por lo tanto, el bajo autocontrol en interacción con la posibilidad de cometer delitos, constituyen la principal causa de la delincuencia.…”