NCJ Number
85026
Date Published
1981
Length
262 pages
Annotation
This study explored the psychological dimensions of creative juvenile delinquents who exhibit aggressive or violent behavior and compared these dimensions with characteristics present in creative nondelinquents with acting experience.
Abstract
The 31 youths participating in the study's first phase were interviewed and were administered the following tests: the Sensation-Seeking Scale, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Form F), the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (verbal and figure batteries), the Gough Adjective Checklist, and the Thematic Apperception Test. Findings indicate that actors were high sensation-seekers, with high verbal and figural creativity scores, high aggression scores, and high transcendence scores. Delinquents in arts were low on sensation-seeking, higher on some figural creativity tests than other groups, lowest in transcendence, and with aggression scores equal to delinquents not in arts. Even when delinquents' creativity scores were high, their creative production was low. Moreover, delinquents' fantasies were more likely to be concrete and problem-oriented than those of actors. The study's second phase incorporated interviews with 120 actors and delinquents. These findings indicate that actors and delinquents display high acting-out (or act hunger), a drive possibly related to early childhood trauma. Although both populations possess the creative impulse, delinquents fail to produce anything creative and have less rich fantasies. Delinquents appeared to be without goals and future vision and often needed more structure to feel comfortable. The study discusses implications of these findings and includes data tables and over 100 references. Additional data, data collection instruments, and study correspondence are appended.