Gender differences in factors of social control and rational choice

Although previous research in the area of rational choice and social control has often included gender as a control variable, few studies have reported statistical tests for difference in associations between key variables and offending for men and women. Using scenario data from a sample of university students, this study examines gender differences in levels of explanatory variables and identifies significant gender differences in the effects that these variables have on intentions to commit drunk driving and shoplifting. Findings show significant gender differences in mean scores for virtually all of the variables; furthermore, certain variables have stronger effects on intentions to offend for women than for men, and vice versa. The influence of some internal controls and motivations appears to be significantly more pronounced in predicting women's intentions to drive drunk and shoplift, whereas men's intentions to shoplift are more affected by prior offending. Findings also indicate that perceived threats of shame account for most of the effects of gender on intentions to offend. We conclude that future research and theory construction must account for the developmental processes that produce offending discrepancies between men and women.