Dimensions and Correlates of Offender Ethical Self-Presentation

Abstract

Watson's (1972) ethical behavior scale was administered to 168 offenders who were undergoing felonly presentence evaluation, and these scores were compared with those that had been obtained during a previous study in which similar subjects were instructed to create favorable versus unfavorable impressions. This comparison, coupled with analyses of MMPI and selected criminological correlates of performance on the scale, suggested that responses were partially, though not totally, determined by impression management motives. In addition, ethical self-presentation was found to be unidimensional, both in its associations with other variables and with respect to the correlations among ethical choice scores. The results were seen to be generally supportive of the validity of Watson's scale when used with appropriate precaution to detect attempts at dissimulation.