The link between dyslexic traits, executive functioning, impulsivity and social self-esteem among an offender and non-offender sample.
OBJECTIVE
The current study had two core aims; first to explore the link between dyslexic traits and other aspects of functioning among a sample of offenders and non-offenders (students); and, second, to explore if dyslexic traits were over-represented among offenders. A subsidiary aim was to explore if the results were influenced by an offender's current index offence (i.e. violent versus non-violent).


METHODS
Ninety-two adult male participants took part: sixty offenders and thirty-two non-offenders. All completed a structured interview assessing dyslexic traits, namely the Dyslexia Adult Screening Test battery (DAST: Fawcett and Nicholson, 1998). Participants also completed a measure of executive functioning (Benton Word Fluency Test, Benton, A. (1968) Differential behavioural effects in frontal lobe disease. Neuropsychologica, 6, 53-60), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: BIS-II, Barratt, E.S. (1994), Impulsiveness and Aggression. In J. Monahan and H.J. Steadman (Eds.), Violence and Mental Disorder: Developments in Risk Assessment (pp.61-79). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.) and social self-esteem (Texas Social Behavior Inventory: TSBI, Helmreich and Stapp, 1974).


RESULTS
Offenders presented with more dyslexic traits than non-offenders, with those with violent index offences presenting with more traits than those with non-violent index offences. Offenders performed poorly on assessments of executive functioning when compared with non-offenders. Dyslexic traits were predicted most significantly by executive functioning difficulties followed by decreased social self-esteem. There was a trend for increased impulsivity to correlate with increased dyslexic traits. Dyslexic traits were also predictive of membership to the offender group whereas impulsivity, executive functioning or social self-esteem was not.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary evidence is provided for increased dyslexic traits among offenders compared to non-offenders. The study highlights the correlates of dyslexic traits. The implications of these findings for future research are outlined.
Baker
Susannah F
SF
Department of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK.
Ireland
Jane L
JL
D000328:Adult; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology