DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN INDIGENOUS CRIMINAL THINKING SCALE

Abstract

The current research was aimed at the development and validation of an indigenous scale for assessment of criminal thinking among offenders in Pakistani cultural context. The research has been carried out in two studies. Study I dealt with the development of an Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale. The items of the scale were empirically validated through content validation and factor analysis on offenders (N = 230). The results indicated that Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale as an internally consistent five factor scale (Criminal Rationalization, Power Orientation and Justification, Personal Irresponsibility, Vindication, and Entitlement). Study II of the current research was conducted to determine the gender differences on Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale. The convergent validity was established with the help of Brief Criminal Attitude Scale (Taylor, 1968) and both scales showed Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale as valid and reliable instrument for measuring criminal thinking. Results concluded that the Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale is a promising measurement tool in indigenous setting.