The Brief Self-Control Scale and Its Refined Version among Incarcerated and Community Youths: Psychometrics and Measurement Invariance

ABSTRACT

Self-control refers to the ability to override impulses and behave in accordance with societal norms, and deficits in self-control are strongly associated with conduct problems, externalizing disorders, crime, and violence. Here, we examine the psychometric properties of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) and its refined version (BSCS-R) among a forensic sample (n = 131) of incarcerated male youth and a school sample of male (n = 257) and female (n = 213) youth from Portugal. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the original one-factor structure of the BSCS and the refined two-factor structure of the BSCS-R obtained adequate fits. The BSCS demonstrated strong measurement invariance across gender and setting (forensic versus school), while the BSCS-R only revealed gender measurement invariance. The BSCS also tended to perform better that the BSCS-R in terms of other psychometric properties, including internal consistency measured by Alpha and Omega coefficients, discriminant and convergent validities, criterion validity, and known-groups validity. Findings support the use of the BSCS among justice-involved and community youth, but caution is advised regarding the use of its refined version in forensic settings.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the following Portuguese juvenile detention centers: Padre António de Oliveira, Navarro de Paiva, Bela Vista, Olivais, Santo António, and Santa Clara. This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and that it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (UID/PSI/01662/2019), through national funds (PIDDAC).

Notes on contributors

Pedro Pechorro

Pedro Pechorro is a doctoral researcher at the School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Portugal. He is also a researcher at the Center for Research in Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal, with a contract funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. His research interests include developmental criminology, juvenile delinquency, psychopathy, and psychometrics.

Matt DeLisi

Matt DeLisi is College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Professor, Coordinator of Criminal Justice Studies, Professor in the Department of Sociology, and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University. Dr. DeLisi is Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and Association for Psychological Science, the only scientist in the world who is a Fellow of both organizations.

Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves

Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves is Associate Professor with tenure at the School of Psychology in the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal), where in 1997 he took his Ph. D. in Forensic and Legal Psychology. He had consistently researched and published on the topics of violent and dangerous offenders namely psychopaths, sexual abusers, spouse abusers, and the correctional system. He also works as a forensic psychologist expert at the Counselling Unit of Forensic Psychology of the University of Minho, where he evaluates and intervenes on juvenile and adult offenders.

Jorge Quintas

Jorge Quintas, PhD in Criminology and forensic psychologist, is Assistant Professor at the School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Porto, and a researcher in CJS – Crime, Justice and Security, Interdisciplinary Research Centre – of the same institution. His recent scientific interests include risk assessment and offender rehabilitation, evaluative research on domestic violence, and drug regulations and their effects.

Victor Hugo Palma

Victor Hugo Palma is a researcher at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Algarve, Portugal. His research interests include juvenile delinquency, psychopathy and schizophrenia.