Personality, Interpersonal Style, and Offending Behaviour v.2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Systematic Investigation of the Links Between Personality and Offending Behaviour: The Roles of Trait Profiles, Level of Personality Functioning, and Interpersonal Style
IRAS ID
273036
Contact name
Robyn Mooney
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Edge Hill University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 28 days
Research summary
The aim of this PhD project, funded by Edge Hill University, is to examine the roles of adaptive and maladaptive personality traits, level of personality functioning (LPF), interpersonal style in offending behaviour. A minimum of 200 Mersey Care NHS Trust forensic psychiatric patients and 100 Mersey Care NHS Trust forensic psychiatric staff will be recruited from secure units (Ashworth Hospital, Scott Clinic, and, if necessary, Rathbone Hospital). Patient participants will be asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires on personality traits, LPF, interpersonal style, and offending history, and some will also be asked to complete a psychopathy screening interview. A file trawl will be conducted to collect data about psychopathy test scores, offending histories, and psychological diagnoses. In Study 1, personality trait profiles will be investigated and compared with findings from a non-offender sample comprising adult male students and members of the community, in order to delineate which trait profiles are associated with offending behaviour and which are not. In Study 2, the self-report offender ratings of interpersonal style will be compared to observer-report ratings by institutional staff to explore any inconsistencies between staff perceptions and offenders’ perceptions of themselves. Study 3 will examine personality trait profiles alongside LPF and interpersonal style in order to explore potential interactions between these variables and attempt to capture a more complete picture of the contribution of personality to offending behaviour than past studies have accomplished. Results will have theoretical relevance and practical utility, and findings will be disseminated to Mersey Care NHS Trust. By establishing how these aspects of personality may interact and contribute to offending behaviour, recommendations can be presented for tailored, person-centred treatment interventions. These interventions will have the potential to improve therapeutic alliances between staff and offenders, therapeutic engagement and, ultimately, treatment outcomes in challenging forensic populations.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0048
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion