Stability of Self-Control: Hirschi's Redefined Self-Control

In 2004, Hirschi redefined self-control by using the framework of his social control theory while retaining assumptions of his original self-control theory. A few studies have provided supportive evidence for the relationship between the newly defined self-control and deviant behavior, whereas no study has tested stability hypothesis by using this new self-control. This is the first study that examines whether the stability hypothesis is still valid in the revised self-control theory. A recent longitudinal national sample of South Korean youths has been used for this purpose. Correlation analysis revealed moderate relationships among self-control measures for 5 years. Self-control differences across genders and across offenders/nonoffenders were significant and consistent. Finally, the results of growth-mixture modeling indicated that 89.5% of the sample exhibited stable group differences in self-control. These findings provide support for the stability thesis in the new version of self-control theory. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 25, 2014 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jo, Y. Tags: Articles Source Type: research