On the measurement of low self-control in Add Health and NLSY79 |
| |
Authors: | Scott E Wolfe John P Hoffmann |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA;2. Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Limited attention has been devoted to the dimensionality of the low self-control scales commonly constructed in two nationally representative datasets routinely used to test self-control theory (SCT) – Add Health and NLSY79. We assess the measurement properties of the low self-control scales by comparing a series of exploratory and confirmatory models that are appropriate for the categorical nature of the observed items, including unidimensional, correlated factors, second-order factor, and bifactor models. Additionally, based on these results we explore the predictive validity of the respective scales on adolescents’ delinquent behavior. The results indicate that the low self-control scales in these data have acceptable levels of internal consistency but do not represent unidimensional latent factors. Rather, scales are best represented by a second-order factor structure. When measured this way, our Add Health scale is associated with delinquency in a cross-sectional context and our NLSY79 scale predicts delinquency longitudinally. This study reveals that low self-control is best conceptualized as a multidimensional construct within these data. The results of this study provide guidance to researchers measuring low self-control in either dataset (or other data sources) and inform the larger SCT measurement literature. |
| |
Keywords: | Low self-control measurement crime Add Health NLSY |
|
|