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Low Self-Control As a Source of Crime. A Meta-Study

Author

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  • Christoph Engel

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn)

Abstract

Self-control theory is one of the best studied criminological paradigms. Since Gottfredson and Hirschi published their General Theory in 1990 the theory has been tested on more than a million subjects. This meta-study systematizes the evidence, reporting 717 results from 102 different publications that cover 966,364 original data points. The paper develops a methodology that makes it possible to standardize findings although the original papers have used widely varying statistical procedures, and have generated findings of very different precision. Overall, the theory is overwhelmingly supported, but the effect is relatively small, and is sensitive to adding a host of moderating variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Engel, 2012. "Low Self-Control As a Source of Crime. A Meta-Study," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2012_04, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    • Handle: RePEc:mpg:wpaper:2012_04
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    File URL: http://www.coll.mpg.de/pdf_dat/2012_04online.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roger M. Harbord & Julian P.T. Higgins, 2008. "Meta-regression in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 8(4), pages 493-519, December.
    2. Baker, Joseph O., 2010. "The expression of low self-control as problematic drinking in adolescents: An integrated control perspective," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 237-244, May.
    3. Kissner, Jason & Pyrooz, David C., 2009. "Self-control, differential association, and gang membership: A theoretical and empirical extension of the literature," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 478-487, September.
    4. Langton, Lynn, 2006. "Low self-control and parole failure: An assessment of risk from a theoretical perspective," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 469-478.
    5. Gibson, Chris & Wright, John, 2001. "Low self-control and coworker delinquency: A research note," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 483-492.
    6. Miller, Holly Ventura & Jennings, Wesley G. & Alvarez-Rivera, Lorna L. & Lanza-Kaduce, Lonn, 2009. "Self-control, attachment, and deviance among Hispanic adolescents," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 77-84, January.
    7. T. D. Stanley, 2001. "Wheat from Chaff: Meta-analysis as Quantitative Literature Review," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 131-150, Summer.
    8. Sun, Ivan Y. & Longazel, Jamie G., 2008. "College students' alcohol-related problems: A test of competing theories," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 554-562, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tim Friehe & Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch, 2014. "The Individual and Joint Performance of Economic Preferences, Personality, and Self-Control in Predicting Criminal Behavior," CESifo Working Paper Series 4622, CESifo.
    2. Tim Friehe & Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch, 2014. "Crime and Self-Control Revisited: Disentangling the Effect of Self-Control on Risk and Social Preferences," CESifo Working Paper Series 4747, CESifo.
    3. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah Christina & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2019. "Self-control: Determinants, life outcomes and intergenerational implications," DICE Discussion Papers 319, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    4. Berenike Waubert de Puiseau & Andreas Glöckner & Emanuel V. Towfigh, 2019. "Integrating theories of law obedience: How utility-theoretic factors, legitimacy, and lack of self-control influence decisions to commit low-level crimes," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 14(3), pages 318-334, May.
    5. repec:cup:judgdm:v:14:y:2019:i:3:p:318-334 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    meta-study; self-control; general theory of crime;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General

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