Personality prototypes based on dimensions of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory among prisoners and non-prisoners

Abstract

The aims of this study are to identify personality types based on the constructs of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory, and to examine the relations between personality types, violent behavior and attitudes toward violence in prison and non-prison samples. The study was conducted on a sample of 716 males (including 107 prison inmates). The clusters named approaching, avoidant and controlled were extracted. Cluster solutions obtained in prison and non-prison samples showed great similarity. Differences between clusters with regard to violent behaviors and attitudes toward violence were examined in each of the sub-samples separately. In the non-prison sample, the clusters differ with regard to all indicators of violence, except for violence toward parents, while in the prison sample the clusters do not differ with regard to violence toward partner and unknown people. In prison sample, participants with multiple prison sentences are most frequent in the approaching cluster. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.