RT Article
T1 Measuring the Criminal Mind: The Relationship Between Intelligence and CSS-M Results Among a Sample of Pennsylvania Prison Inmates
JF Criminal justice and behavior
VO 44
IS 11
SP 1444
OP 1461
A1 Soyer, Michaela 1980-
A2 McNeeley, Susan M.
A2 Bucklen, Kristofer Bret
A2 Zajac, Gary
LA English
YR 2017
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1701021870
AB This article investigates the relationship between IQ scores and criminal thinking as measured by the Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M). We argue the CSS-M may not capture criminal thinking, but reflects the test-takers’ cognitive ability to interpret the test’s intentions. Based on our analysis of inmates admitted to Pennsylvania prisons in 2013, we find that highly intelligent inmates receive lower scores on the CSS-M, controlling for other measures of risk. In our analysis, the CSS-M’s ability to predict institutional misconduct is greatest for inmates whose IQ scores fall in the middle of the distribution, with a weaker relationship between CSS-M and misconduct found among low- or high-IQ inmates. We propose a need for reevaluation of actuarial assessment tools for cognitively low- or high-functioning inmates. Taking into account the social-environmental factors of the testing situation and being aware of the test-takers’ interpretative processes may be crucial for generating valid results.
K1 Criminal Sentiments Scale–Modified
K1 Institutional misconduct
K1 Intelligence
K1 Risk assessment
K1 Social desirability
DO 10.1177/0093854817727318