These items have generally been offense-specific items that refer to behaviors as diverse as drug use, theft, and violence. The justification for the construction of composite scales has been based upon either the face validity of the item's content or simple factor analyses and reliability checks. This article more carefully examines the measurement properties of common scales employed in perceptual deterrence research. It is found that (1) the pooling of items across offenses and (2) the pooling of subsamples cannot be done indiscriminately. The effect of such indiscriminate pooling of items and subjects on a structural equation model of the deterrence process is examined. (Author abstract)
Downloads
Related Datasets
Similar Publications
- Experimental Evaluation of Drug Testing and Treatment Interventions for Probationers in Maricopa County, Arizona
- Report From the States on What Works at the State and Local Levels: A Compendium of Assessment and Evaluation Results
- Studying Drugs in Rural Areas: Notes from the Field (From Drug Use and Drug Policy, P 419-438, 1997, Marilyn McShane, Frank P. Williams, III, eds. - See NCJ-168395)