Psychological Reports, 1977, 4 1 , 425-426. @ Psychological Reports 1977
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR A N D PSYCHOTIUSM IN ADOLESCENT SCHOOLBOYS1 D. H. SAKLOFSKE Alberla Mental 'Health Services Summary.-Four groups of 20 adolescent boys were formed on the basis of self-report ratings of antisocial behavior and teachers' ratings of classroom misbehavior. Significant differences on Eysenck's psychoticism scale were obtained between both high vs low antisocial behavior groups and well behaved vs badly behaved teacher-rated groups. The interaction was not significant.
Eysenck's earlier hypothesis that antisocial and criminal behavior are causally related to the extraversion and neuroticism dimensions of personality has recently been extended to include the personality factor of psychoticism (Eysenck, 1970), assessed with the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1976). Two studies reported by Eysenck and Eysenck (1970, 1971) support the hypothesis that groups of adult prisoners obtain higher psychoticism scores than controls. However, Allsopp and Feldman2 argue that Eysenck's theory is applicable to a far wider range of behavior than serious crimes. Allsopp and Feldman ( 1974, 1976') have shown that general antisocial behavior is positively related to Eysenck's three personality dimensions for school boys and girls. As well the extraversion and psychoticism scales discriminated between students scoring high and low on an objective measure of school naughtiness. The present study investigated the relationship between psychoticism and behavior of New Zealand schoolboys, ages 13 and 14 yr.. as measured by a self-report questionnaire and rated by school staff. Several well and badly behaved boys were nominated by each classroom teacher and the lists independently verified by the school principal and counsellor. Subjects were retained for study only where there was complete agreement among school staff. A selfreport questionnaire of antisocial behavior (Allsopp & Feldman, 1974) was adninistered and the 20 highest and 20 lowest scoring subjects in both rhe well and badly behaved groups then completed the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. This questionnaire was scored for the psychoticism items. A 2 X 2 analysis of variance yielded significant differences between mean psychoticism scores of subjects classified according to both teachers' ratings of 'Requests for reprints of this srudy should be sent to D. H . Saklofske. Mental Health Services. Natural Resources Building. 205 9 Avenue S. E., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G OR3. I am grateful to Dr. Sybil Eysenck for providing the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the un~ublished manuscriot bv A ~ ~ S O and D D Feldman.Vhis study was supported by ~ n i v e r s i i yof Otago ~ e s e a r i hGiant 371454. 'J. F. Allsopp & M. P. Feldrnan, Item analysis of questionnaire measures of personality and antisocial behavior in school boys. (Unpublished manuscript, Institute of Psychiatry, Univer. of London, 1 9 7 6 ) -
426
D. H.
SAKLOFSKE
behavior ( F I v T 6= 7.51, p < .007) and self-report scores of antisocial behavior (F1,7G = 59.87, p < ,001). Subjects rated by teachers as badly behaved obtained significantly higher psychoticism scores ( M = 7.78, SD = 3.04) than their well behaved peers ( M = 6.08, SD =.2.48). Similarly boys high in antisocial behavior scored significantly higher on the psychoticism scale ( M = 9.33, SD = 3.08) compared with boys low in antisocial behavior (M = 4.53, SD = 2.43). The interaction was not significant. Of interest was the finding that the best discrimination on psychoticism occurred when subjects were grouped according to scores on the antisocial behavior questionnaire. The present results are in line with those reported by Allsopp and F e l d m a n h n d support the argument that Eysenck's theory as it pertains to psychoticism is capable of predictions concerning the range of misbehavior engaged in by adolescent schoolboys. Further research is required to determine the usefulness of the psychoticism scale in predicting general and specific types of misbehavior. REFERENCES ALLSOPP, J. F., & FELDMAN, M. P. Extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticisrn and antisocial behavior in school girls. Social Behauior and Personality, 1974, 2 , 184-190.
EYSENCK, H. J. Crime and personality. London: Paladin. 1970. EYSBNCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. R. G. Crime and personality: an empirical study of the three factor theory.
British Journrrl of Criminology, 1970, 10, 225-239.
EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Crime and ersonality: item analysis of questionnaire responses. British Journal of Criminorogy, 197 1, 11, 49-62. & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Hodder & Stoughton, 1976.
EYSENCK, H. J.,
Accepted August 2, 1977.
London:
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR A N D PSYCHOTIUSM IN ADOLESCENT SCHOOLBOYS1 D. H. SAKLOFSKE Alberla Mental 'Health Services Summary.-Four groups of 20 adolescent boys were formed on the basis of self-report ratings of antisocial behavior and teachers' ratings of classroom misbehavior. Significant differences on Eysenck's psychoticism scale were obtained between both high vs low antisocial behavior groups and well behaved vs badly behaved teacher-rated groups. The interaction was not significant.
Eysenck's earlier hypothesis that antisocial and criminal behavior are causally related to the extraversion and neuroticism dimensions of personality has recently been extended to include the personality factor of psychoticism (Eysenck, 1970), assessed with the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1976). Two studies reported by Eysenck and Eysenck (1970, 1971) support the hypothesis that groups of adult prisoners obtain higher psychoticism scores than controls. However, Allsopp and Feldman2 argue that Eysenck's theory is applicable to a far wider range of behavior than serious crimes. Allsopp and Feldman ( 1974, 1976') have shown that general antisocial behavior is positively related to Eysenck's three personality dimensions for school boys and girls. As well the extraversion and psychoticism scales discriminated between students scoring high and low on an objective measure of school naughtiness. The present study investigated the relationship between psychoticism and behavior of New Zealand schoolboys, ages 13 and 14 yr.. as measured by a self-report questionnaire and rated by school staff. Several well and badly behaved boys were nominated by each classroom teacher and the lists independently verified by the school principal and counsellor. Subjects were retained for study only where there was complete agreement among school staff. A selfreport questionnaire of antisocial behavior (Allsopp & Feldman, 1974) was adninistered and the 20 highest and 20 lowest scoring subjects in both rhe well and badly behaved groups then completed the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. This questionnaire was scored for the psychoticism items. A 2 X 2 analysis of variance yielded significant differences between mean psychoticism scores of subjects classified according to both teachers' ratings of 'Requests for reprints of this srudy should be sent to D. H . Saklofske. Mental Health Services. Natural Resources Building. 205 9 Avenue S. E., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G OR3. I am grateful to Dr. Sybil Eysenck for providing the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the un~ublished manuscriot bv A ~ ~ S O and D D Feldman.Vhis study was supported by ~ n i v e r s i i yof Otago ~ e s e a r i hGiant 371454. 'J. F. Allsopp & M. P. Feldrnan, Item analysis of questionnaire measures of personality and antisocial behavior in school boys. (Unpublished manuscript, Institute of Psychiatry, Univer. of London, 1 9 7 6 ) -
426
D. H.
SAKLOFSKE
behavior ( F I v T 6= 7.51, p < .007) and self-report scores of antisocial behavior (F1,7G = 59.87, p < ,001). Subjects rated by teachers as badly behaved obtained significantly higher psychoticism scores ( M = 7.78, SD = 3.04) than their well behaved peers ( M = 6.08, SD =.2.48). Similarly boys high in antisocial behavior scored significantly higher on the psychoticism scale ( M = 9.33, SD = 3.08) compared with boys low in antisocial behavior (M = 4.53, SD = 2.43). The interaction was not significant. Of interest was the finding that the best discrimination on psychoticism occurred when subjects were grouped according to scores on the antisocial behavior questionnaire. The present results are in line with those reported by Allsopp and F e l d m a n h n d support the argument that Eysenck's theory as it pertains to psychoticism is capable of predictions concerning the range of misbehavior engaged in by adolescent schoolboys. Further research is required to determine the usefulness of the psychoticism scale in predicting general and specific types of misbehavior. REFERENCES ALLSOPP, J. F., & FELDMAN, M. P. Extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticisrn and antisocial behavior in school girls. Social Behauior and Personality, 1974, 2 , 184-190.
EYSENCK, H. J. Crime and personality. London: Paladin. 1970. EYSBNCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. R. G. Crime and personality: an empirical study of the three factor theory.
British Journrrl of Criminology, 1970, 10, 225-239.
EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Crime and ersonality: item analysis of questionnaire responses. British Journal of Criminorogy, 197 1, 11, 49-62. & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Hodder & Stoughton, 1976.
EYSENCK, H. J.,
Accepted August 2, 1977.
London:
