Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency

8/13/2019 Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency

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EXTROVERSION-INTROVERSION TRAITS AS DETERMINANTS OF JUVINILE

DELIQENCY

By

C.A. Daramola

Abstract

This study investigated the extent, which a measure of Extroversion-

introversion is related to juvenile delinquency. The design of the study was

influenced largely by a desire to penetrate deeper into the personality dimensions

of delinquents than most conventional studies in juvenile delinquency.

The following hypotheses were tested:

(i) there is no significant differences between juvenile delinquents and non-

delinquents on the introversion scale.

(ii) there no significant difference between female and male delinquents on the

extroversion scale.

(iii) there is no significant difference between delinquents in elementary schools

and those in secondary schools on the extroversion scale.

In all, 82 delinquents and 87 non-delinquents from juvenile welfare remand

home, Ibadan and approved schools, Iwo were used. The extend of extroversion

scale of Eysenck personality inventory (EPI), 1968. analysis of result statistic and

the level of probability adopted was 0.o5. while hypothesis (ii) was confirmed;

hypothesis (i) and (iii) were rejected. The results raise the possibility that a

significant degree of extroversion may be considered a function of delinquency.

Introduction

Many criminological studies have related involvement in juvenile

delinquency to a variety of factors, including school and home factors. Little


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attention has been paid to this aspect of personality differences. Certainly,

understanding the personality traits of juvenile delinquents would enable us to

easily predict and identify youthful criminals. This will save a lot of money and

time that would be expended on arresting such a problem.

The specific question the present study sets to answer is whether any

specific personality traits have been observed more frequently among youths

who were, or who have become delinquent, This question becomes necessary in

an attempt to understand what developmental process account for the personality

traits that correlated with delinquency Then, the government can be better

organised and equipped to tackle the problem of indiscipline a maladjustment in

the country, if the government knows the factor in the different individual that

create a crime tendency in the nation.

A study of the enrolments in most Remand Homes in Nigeria shows that

there are more boys than girls. The question then is: Are girls less criminally

oriented, or are they more law abiding than the boys?

Apart from the officially registered delinquents, there are many

unregistered delinquents scattered here and there in different parts of the

country. If some care is not taken, our Remand Homes will soon be flooded with

delinquents. One aspect of the care to be taken in this regard is to identify the

underlying personality traits that are associated with the development of juvenile

'delinquency and nip the problem of delinquency in the bud by manipulating such

traits, to ensure social and personal. adjustment of our youths. This study is

therefore concerned was a comparative study of some personality traits as

determinants of juvenile delinquency.

Literature Review

Extroversion - Introversion traits are personality dimension identified by

Jung (1923) as ways of reacting to outer and inner, experiences. Jung in his

classification of individuals came up with two personality types. Extroverts and

Introverts. According, to him, each person' is both introvert and extrovert with one

part being more prominent than the other. From various available definitions, it is

obvious that juvenile delinquency traits do not fall into one simple homogenous

category. Lawyers believe that juvenile delinquents form a well-defined group,

psychologist sees it as one of the many aspects of that elusive concept known as


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social maladjustment.

The following definitions bring out clearly a confusion which runs right

through the problem of knowing exactly who juvenile delinquents are. According

to Rubin (1949), "Juvenile delinquency is what the law says it is". This is in

agreement', with Power and Witner (1951) who saw juvenile delinquents as those

belonging to a particular age group who have been known to the satisfaction of a

court of law to have committed certain acts. A reference to biological innate

disposition offered by Lambrose (1918), makes his definition interesting.

According to him, delinquents are "moral idiots" who differed from normal

men in basic and born physical characteristics. Yet, in spite of all these

disagreements, the question of who is and who is not a delinquent is fundamental

to research in this field. Many psychologists have been concerned with defining

the particular personality traits which lead people to become delinquents.

Schuessler and Cressey (1950) reviewed 113 investigations and concluded that

delinquency and specific personality traits were not related.

Quay (164) found that there are particular types of delinquents who differ

from each other and have distinctive personality characteristics. In a related study,

Allopson and Feldman (1974) found that anti-social behaviour was positively

related to extroversion, neuroticism and psychotism and that school naughtiness

was positively related to extroversion and psychoticism. A similar study was

conducted by Siegman (1963) with male and female students. He found a positive

correlation between extroversion and anti-social behaviour in males but not in the

female groups. On education, Patnack (1963) in his study with 60 delinquent boys

found that most of them were either uneducated or with little education.

Research Questions

Arising from the review of literature and background to the study, the

following questions are raised:

(i) Are delinquents likely to score higher on the extroversion scale than

non-delinquents?

(ii) Would there be difference in the scores of male and female delinquents

on the extroversion scale?

(iii) would there be difference in the scores of delinquents

in elementary schools .and those in secondary schools on extroversion


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Table 1

The Extent of Extroversion of Each Group

(N = 169)

Group No. of Scores Variance

Mean

Subjects on 2

EPI S

X

Delinquents 82 1044 16.78 1

2.73

Non-delinquents 87 983 4.95

19.29

Male delinquents 70 880 17.81 12.57

Female delinquents 12 164 15.7

13.66

Result

Hypothesis (i) was rejected because there was a statistically significant

difference between the two means (t=5.62 P.D5)

Table 2

Comparison of Delinquent and Non-Delinquent Subject on EPI

(Extroversion Scale) (N=169)

Delinquents Non-Delinquents

Nl Xl Sl N2 X2 S2 t


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P

82 12.73 16. 78 87 11. 29 4. 95 5.62

0.5

Hypothesis (ii) was confirmed. There was no significant difference

between the mean scores.

Table 3

Comparison of Female and Male Subjects

on EPI (N=82)

Females

Males

2 2

N1 X1 S1 N2 X2 S2 t

P

12 13.66 15.7 70 12.57 17.81 0.70

(ns)

Hypothesis (iii) was rejected because there was a significant differences

between the two means Scores:

Table 4

Comparison of Delinquents in Elementary and Secondary Schools on

Extroversion Scale (N = 82)

Elementary

Secondary


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N1 X1 S1 N2 X2 S2 t P

58 13.79 12.56 24 10.16 16.19 3.86 . 05

Implications of the Study

The problem of juvenile delinquency in our society calls for, an immediate

rehabilitation of our youthful offenders and an offer of assistance such that their

sufferings, misery and life wastage would be permanently removed. The study

further shows what in dealing with youngsters it is wise to be on guard against

certain kinds of overt behaviour that may indicate possible future difficulty. Such

behaviour may be symptomatic of pre delinquency in a given case.

With the findings from this study, it should be easy to predict and to

identify our youthful offenders. The government can be better organised and

equipped to tackle the problem of increased wave of crime in the country if the

government knows the factors in the different individuals that create a crime

tendency in the nation's youths. The results from this study have highlighted

the need for a 'better understanding of the personality structure of our juvenile

delinquents.

Since studies of delinquency have implications for the rehabilitation of

offenders and the prevention of delinquency in the society, a multi-faceted

team approach involving the home school, Guidance Counsellors, and

community agencies is vital in transform overt aggression as a positive effort

for communication and self I assertion into a positive stimulus control and

reformation.

Conclusions

From the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn:

(i) Delinquents exhibit higher level of extroversion traits than non-

delinquents.

(ii) Both male and female delinquents exhibits the same level of


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extroversion.

(iii) Delinquents in elementary schools exhibit higher level of extroversion

traits than those in secondary schools.

Discussions on the Findings

(i) Delinquents were found to exhibit a higher level of extroversion traits

than non-delinquents. This result is congruent with other findings. For example,

Siegman (1963) found a positive correlation between extroversion and anti-

social behaviours in his study of boys in approved school. Eysenck (1969) also

found criminals to be on the whole both extroverted and neurotic.

It is not actually surprising that delinquents &exhibit a higher level of

extroversion traits than non-delinquents. One possible explanation for this is

that delinquents are generally children whose code of behaviours is based

purely on pleasure and pain principle which normally leads to immediate

expression of instinctive urges. Hence, it becomes easier for children with

personality disposition such as extroversion to engage in various forms of

anti-social behaviour because their types of solution to a problem would

always bring them into conflict with parents, teachers, police and others who

have more conventional solutions in mind. another explanation offered by

Eysenck (1953) could also be significant. According to him, "introverts learn

more readily and so come to absorb the rules of society than extroverts who

are only poorly socialised and are pre-disposed towards action rather then

thought"

(ii) There was no sex difference in extroversion traits of juvenile

delinquents. This finding was in agreement with that of Thompson and

Lazes (1976) that "the female delinquency was highly similar to the male

pattern of delinquency". However, there were some contradictory results.

For example, Siegman (1963) found a positive' correlation between

extroversion and anti-social behaviour in male but not in the female group.

In another study Cutman (1966) found that male delinquents showed higher

mean extroversion scores than 19 female ones.


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Extroversion Introversion Traits as Determinants of Juvinile Deliqency

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