The main purpose of this study was to test the adequacy of a causal model to explain socially deviant behavior (i.e. antisocial and criminal behavior), taking into account the contribution of personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, and sensation seeking). To this end, 755 high school and undergraduate students participated, most of them female (50.3%) and from private schools/universities (53%), with ages ranging from 16 to 26 (average=20.1; standard deviation=3.12). They answered a questionnaire in which three different measures were incorporated: Big Five Inventory, Sensation Seeking Scale, and Antisocial and Criminal Behavior Questionnaire. The main results demonstrated that the traits of neuroticism and sensation-seeking satisfactorily explained the antisocial behavior, and these directly predicated criminal behavior. It was confirmed that the personality traits, especially sensation seeking, are helpful in the understanding of socially deviant behavior. However, the need for further studies incorporating other variables and contexts should be emphasized.
Sensation seeking; Extraversion; Antisocial personality disorder
