The Role of Criminal Social Identity in the Relationship between Criminal Friends and Criminal Thinking Style within a Sample of Recidivistic Prisoners

Daniel Boduszek, Gary Adamson, Mark Shevlin, Philip Hyland, Ashling Bourke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Previous research suggests a direct relationship between criminal friends and criminal thinking style; however, social identity theory proposes that identity mediates the impact of social group members on development of thinking styles. This research project is the first attempt to empirically test the mediating role of criminal social identity in the development of criminal thinking styles within a recidivistic prison sample (N = 312). The structural equation model of criminal thinking style presented and tested in this study supports the central predictions of social identity theory, with findings demonstrating an indirect effect of antisocial friend associations on criminal thinking through in-group affect and in-group ties with criminal in-group members that reflect two of three dimensions of the measure of criminal social identity applied in the current study. Further implications in relation to theory and previous studies are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14-28
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment
Volume23
Issue number1
Early online date11 Jan 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

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