Delinquent and criminal behavior as assessed by the revised california psychological inventory

The revised California Psychological Inventory was studied in samples of 272 delinquent or criminal men vs. 1,088 controls, and 400 delinquent or criminal women vs. 2,266 controls, which gave delinquency base rates of 20% for men and 15% for women. Of the 27 scales evaluated, significant (p less than or equal to .01) mean differences were found on 25 for men and 26 for women. The best differentiator was So (Socialization), with point-biserial correlations of .54 for men and .58 for women. The new CPI theoretical model of personality structure also revealed significant differences. Persons in the Gamma and Delta lifestyle categories manifested higher rates of delinquency than did those in the Alpha and Beta. Low levels of ego integration were associated with greater incidence of delinquency in all four lifestyles.