The Validity of the Jesness Inventory with British Delinquents

Abstract

This paper presents evidence concerning the validity of the Jesness Inventory. Two types of validity are examined. Firstly, evidence is given that some of the subscales of the Inventory are able to differentiate between different levels of delinquency. Secondly, it is reported that some of the subscales are able to predict from a group of offenders those who are destined to continue their delinquent careers. There seems good evidence to suggest that the scales purporting to measure social maladjustment, value orientation, alienation and manifest aggression are related to the concept of ‘deviant personality’. It is concluded that the Inventory has some limited validity; and, tentatively, that the recidivist is more likely to be unsocialized, aggressive, anti‐authority, and unempathic as measured by the Inventory. Those scales that attempt to measure more ‘neurotic’ characteristics do not validly predict recidivism.