title: Male imprisoned firesetters have different characteristics than other imprisoned offenders and require specialist treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether a group of firesetters (n = 68) could be distinguished, psychologically, from a matched group of non-firesetting offenders (n = 68).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed measures examining psychological variables relating to fire, emotional/self-regulation, social competency, self-concept, boredom proneness, and impression management. Official prison records were also examined to record offending history and other offense-related variables. A series of MANOVAs were conducted with conceptually related measures identified as the dependent variables. Follow-up discriminant function and clinical cut-off score analyses were also conducted to examine the best discriminating variables for firesetters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Firesetters were clearly distinguishable, statistically, from non-firesetters on three groups of conceptually related measures relating to: fire, emotional/self-regulation, and self-concept. The most successful variables for the discrimination of firesetters determined via statistical and clinical significance testing were higher levels of anger-related cognition, interest in serious fires, and identification with fire and lower levels of perceived fire safety awareness, general self-esteem, and external locus of control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Firesetters appear to be a specialist group of offenders who hold unique psychological characteristics. Firesetters are likely to require specialist treatment to target these psychological needs as opposed to generic offending behavior programs.
authors.forename: Theresa A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gannon
authors.forename: Caoilte Ó
authors.initials: CÓ
authors.lastname: Ciardha
authors.forename: Magali F L
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Barnoux
authors.forename: Nichola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mozova
authors.forename: Emma K A
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Alleyne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger; D001887:Boredom; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D057237:Criminals / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004739:England; D005390:Fires; D005391:Firesetting Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior