title: Earliest memories and the dynamics of delinquency.
abstract: Data from the first two childhood memories was used to distinguish 15 delinquents from 18 nondelinquent controls. Subjects were male, middle class, 15-17 years of age, and equated for verbal IQ. All delinquents were property offenders. A coding system, devised from the memories of the delinquents and nondelinquents, successfully identified 80% of the delinquents and 100% of the nondelinquents. These prediction rates exceeded those from three clinicians experienced in working with a comparable delinquent population. The coding system was then discussed in terms of the axioms and presuppositions which are suggested by the memories of the delinquent sample.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011386:Projective Techniques; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology