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Abstract

Personality and motivational factors have been under-studied in research on female crime and delinquency. This paper examines a number of hypotheses concerning the personality, background, and motivation of female delinquents. Using MANOVA and discriminant function analysis, delinquents and non-delinquents differed significantly on personality variables as well as need for Affiliation and Power. Personality and motivational variables were highly accurate in discriminating between delinquent and non-delinquent girls from similar backgrounds. The authors conclude that multiple risk factors (both environmental and intrapersonal) contribute to the development of delinquent behavior.

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Multivariate Analysis of Personality and Motivation in Female Delinquents

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