Date of Award

5-1988

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. James Tromater

Second Advisor

Dr. Andrew Newcomb

Third Advisor

Dr. James Polyson

Abstract

This study looks at sensation seeking and daily activities as possible determinants of criminal behavior within the age range of 15 to 30. A male offender and a male nonoffender population between the ages of 15 and 18 were compared on two questionnaires; Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form VI, (SSS) and the Daily Activities Questionnaire (DAQ). The design consisted of one independent variable with two levels and multiple dependent variables. The research hypotheses indicated that the juvenile offender group would score higher on both Disinhibition subscales of the SSS and lower on the DAQ (Intention - Disinhibition (IDIS); Experience - Disinhibition (EDIS)). A multivariate analysis of variance and a discriminant function analysis were performed on the data. The results indicated that the offenders scored significantly lower on the IDIS scale than the nonoffenders. F statistics are as follows: EDIS F( 1,84)=.620, p > .05; IDIS - F(1,84)=5.666, p < .05; DAQ - F(1,84)=2.998, p > .05. The results of the SSS and DAQ suggest that there is not a difference between the groups in the activities in which they have already engaged, but there is a difference in the activities in which they intend to engage in the future.

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