Reading between the Lines: Personality Correlates of Graffiti Writing

Because private graffiti can be an effective way of communicating unconventional attitudes anonymously and in a manner that allows the writer to avoid negative sanctions, it was hypothesized that graffitists would be more creative and more externally-oriented in their locus of control and would describe graffiti less negatively than would non-graffitists. Subjects were assigned to graffitist and non-graffitist conditions on the basis of their self-report. All three of the hypotheses were supported. Graffitists were more creative and external than were non-graffitists. In addition, graffitists evaluated graffiti neutrally whereas non-graffitists described graffiti negatively. These results suggest that writing graffiti is not an arbitrary, destructive act but rather a purposeful behavior through which individuals may express themselves.