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Personality Characteristics of Parents of Delinquent and Nondelinquent Adolescent Boys as Measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

NCJ Number
75433
Author(s)
P L Orr; S W Cochran
Date Published
1969
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This research administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to 18 parents of delinquent adolescent males and matched control sample of parents with nondelinquent sons to determine if there were significant personality differences between the groups of parents.
Abstract
Parents in both groups were married and living together at the time of the testing. All the sons were white, ages 13 through 17, with intelligence quotients (IQ's) of at least 84 and free of mental or physical handicaps. Groups mean profiles for experimental and control mothers and fathers were compared to the standardized MMPI population means in order to obtain basic comparisons. Analysis of the scores indicated the parents in the experimental group with delinquent sons had more personality disturbances than did parents in the control group. Personality profiles of the experimental mothers exhibited the greatest psychopathy. These women demonstrated coldness, lack of ability to have meaningful and close social relationships, and an immature and unstable outlook. They tended to show considerable concern for themselves to the exclusion of others and react to stress with symptoms of depression. Control mothers displayed more stability and emotional maturity on all scales. The only difference between the two groups of fathers was found in the psychopathic scale. Experimental fathers demonstrated elevations on this scale that indicate poor impulse control, a tendency to display antisocial behavior, and lack of concern for others. A possible conclusion from this data is that delinquent sons, through identification with their parents, adopt parents' personality paterns including poor impulse control, antisocial behavior, and lack of concern for others. Thus, the MMPI is a possible tool for predicting delinquency. Statistical tables and 23 references are appended.