“Negative affectivity distorts thinking”: a multilevel analysis of criminogenic thinking among Pakistani incarcerated offenders

ABSTRACT

The primary aim of the study was to assess the role of negative affectivity, a dynamic factor, in predicting criminogenic thinking styles after considering the roles of stable personal factors, individual and family history of crime, and cognitive functioning. A secondary objective was to assess whether first-time vs. repeat Pakistani incarcerated offenders differ on criminogenic cognitions. A sample of 205 offenders incarcerated in Pakistani prisons completed self-report measures of negative affectivity, cognitive functioning, and criminogenic cognitions. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were calculated to test the study hypotheses. Findings revealed that negative affectivity factors, particularly fear, were more important for understanding criminogenic cognitive patterns as they explained a significantly larger variance over and above the individual variables, history factors, and cognitive functioning in criminogenic thinking. Further findings showed that repeat offenders scored consistently higher on criminogenic cognitions compared to first-time offenders. The findings highlight the importance of developing prevention programs incorporating cognitive behavior therapeutic strategies targeting negative affectivity and criminogenic cognitions among incarcerated offenders.

KEYWORDS:

• Negative affectivity
• criminogenic cognitions
• cognitive functioning
• crime record history

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the study participants for their time and voluntary participation in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Data availability statement

The data set analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to sensitivity of the data on offender and to ensure confidentiality of the data but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The study was not funded by any funding agency.