The Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA)

Abstract

The validity of a Swedish translation of the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) was evaluated. All four subscales showed acceptable reliability, but the Entitlement scale can be improved by replacing items with low loadings. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a model with one common criminal attitude factor and three subfactors (corresponding to subscales of the test). The Antisocial Intent scale failed to come out as a separate factor. The criterion-related validity was evidenced through offenders having more positive attitudes to criminality than a sample from a public Internet site, a treatment program having an effect on the ratings, and test scores being meaningfully related to criminal history variables. It was concluded that the MCAA has satisfactory psychometric properties.