Personality Differences between Prisoners and Controls

Abstract

2,070 male prisoners and 2,442 male controls were administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, which gives scores on Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Lie scales. The groups were subdivided into age groups, ranging from 16 to 69 yr. at the extremes. It was found that the Lie scale disclosed little dissimulation in either group. Scores on Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism fell with age for both prisoners and controls. Prisoners had higher scores than controls, as predicted, on all three scales. It is concluded that prisoners show predictable differences in personality as compared with controls.