Competence, delinquency, and attempts to attain possible selves.
The impact of impulsivity, possible selves, and social and communication skills on delinquent involvement in inner-city high school and incarcerated boys (aged 13-17, N = 230) was explored. Impulsivity, perceived attempts to attain possible selves, and balance in possible selves were hypothesized to directly influence delinquency. Social and communication skills were hypothesized to influence delinquency directly and indirectly through their effects on impulsivity, balance, and attempts to attain possible selves. These factors discriminated moderately well between high school and incarcerated youths. Impulsivity was an especially powerful predictor of self-reported delinquency among high school youths but not among incarcerated youths. The effect of other variables differed somewhat for different categories of delinquency (aggression, theft, hooliganism, and school truancy) and between subsamples, suggesting the importance of examining the subjective meaning of each of these behaviors for the individual in his social context.
Oyserman
D
D
Merrill-Palmer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202.
Saltz
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011330:Prisons; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires