Multivariate Analysis of Attitudes and Personality Characteristics among 60 Youthful Offenders

Abstract

60 youthful offenders scaled 21 concepts with 12 bipolar adjectives of the semantic differential. The scaled concepts were clustered in semantic space by a multidimensional interrelational affective technique. Interpretation of the relationships of the concepts was based on the distance function of the evaluation and potency dimensions. “Death,” “black,” “police,” and “girl” were observed with the highest D² function and were the most intensely stimulating affective concepts. A canonical correlational analysis was applied to the semantic factor scores of each concept and scores on the High School Personality Questionnaire. Measures of personality did not appear in the same system of relationships with any one of the 21 concepts.

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