Integrating Motivating and Constraining Forces in Deviance Causation: A Test of Causal Chain Hypotheses in Control Balance Theory

ABSTRACT

A major innovation in control balance theory is the integration of motivating and constraining forces into a “causal chain” explanation of deviance. To test these relationships, this research presents a parsed model of the causal chain that focuses on the associations among control ratios, deviant motivation, situational provocations, constraint, and deviant behavior. Results from a first-person scenario testing hypotheses from this model show that, as predicted, control ratios affect deviance both directly and indirectly through motivating and constraining variables. While the full model explains about 39% of the variation in deviance, control ratios do not, however, show great explanatory power regarding variation in motivation and constraint.

I wish to thank Alex Piquero for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Notes

¹In order to assess whether responses on “grades in school” might affect results, separate analyses were employed that removed this item from both the control asserted and control experienced measures—leading to the creation of an alternative measure of the control ratio. These analyses (not reported but available upon request) yielded results that were substantively the same in terms of direction and significance of coefficients.

*p < .05;

**p < .01;

***p < .001.

*p < .05;

**p < .01;

***p < .001

²As a colleague mentioned, while a written test on skiing may predict skiing ability and writing skills may predict tests scores, writing skills probably won't be related to skiing ability.