The Impact of the Big Five Personality Traits on the Commission of Violent and Deceptive Crimes: A Case Study of Prisoners in Tabriz Prison

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor. Criminal Law and Criminology. Faculty of Law. College of Farabi University of Tehran. Qom.Iran

2 PhD student, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Farabi College, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.

3 PhD student, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology. Faculty of Law. College of Farabi University of Tehran. Qom. Iran.

Abstract

Personality profiling of violent and deceptive offenders is crucial, as these offenses indicate an offender's dangerousness. However, the personality differences between these groups remain unclear. The present study was conducted to comparatively examine the personality traits of these groups. This descriptive study uses a causal-comparative approach on a sample of 177 prisoners (91 violent and 86 deceptive offenders) at Tabriz Prison. Data were collected using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and analyzed through multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression. The findings revealed that violent offenders scored significantly higher on "Neuroticism", whereas deceptive offenders had higher mean scores for "Conscientiousness," "Extraversion," "Openness to Experience," and "Agreeableness" (p < 0.05). Additionally, "Neuroticism" and "Conscientiousness" predicted the type of crime with an accuracy of %72.3. These findings indicate the existence of distinct personality profiles in these offender groups and their applicability in crime prevention and rehabilitation programs.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abbasirad, R., Rostami, M., Fasihi, M., Sarhangi, N., & Ahmadboukani, S. (2024). "The Relationship between Family Communication Patterns and High-Risk Behaviors in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Big Five Personality Traits". Journal of Applied Psychological Research, 15(3), 61-78, doi: 10.22059/japr.2024.347299.644359, [In Persisn].
Abdullah, A., & Marican, S. (2017). "The Association between Big-Five Personality and Property Deviance", Global Journal of Business and Social Science Review, 5(2), 24–28.
Alvani, S. M. (1997), "Public Choice Theory and Administrative Reforms in Government A Comparative Perspective", Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 6(23.24), 5-19, [In Persisn].
Babaei, M A. (2024). Clinical Criminology: Developments in the Concept of Dangerous State, Tehran: Mizan Legal Foundation, 4th editi, [In Persisn].
Blickle, G., Schlegel, A., Fassbender, P., & Klein, U. (2006). "Some Personality Correlates of Business White-Collar Crime", Applied Psychology, 55, 220-233, doi: 10.1111/j.1464-0597.2006.00226.x.
Daneshnari, H. & Khajavi Fakhrdavoud, Z. (2024). "The Impact of Big Five Personality Traits on the Internal Control of the Criminal Phenomenon: Case Study of the Students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad", Criminal Law Research, 15(2), 59-79, doi: 10.22124/jol.2024.27649.2482, [In Persisn].
Document of Transformation and Excellence of the Judiciary. (2024). [In Persisn].
Darabi, S. (2019). Red-Collar Criminals Criminality, Tehran: Mizan Legal Foundation, First edition, [In Persisn].
Elliott, R. T. (2010). "Examining the relationship between personality characteristics and unethical behaviors resulting in economic crime", Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 12(3), 269, doi: 10.1891/1559-4343.12.3.269.
Ershadi Manesh, S., Mahmoudiyan Dastnaee, T., & Yaghubi Mahjoub, M. (2024). "The Structural Model of Temperament and Character Dimensions and the Dark Triad of Personality with a Tendency to Criminal Behaviors in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Self-Control", Journal of Research in Behavioural Sciences, 22(3), 462-476, [In Persisn].
Qaderi Bagajan, K., Mirzaei, F., Ebrahimzadeh Mousavian, S., Emami Ale Agha, S., & Alavinejad, L. (2024). "The Relationship between Dark Tetrad of Personality and Domain-Specific Risk-taking among Iranian Young People", Shenakht Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry, 11(2), 162-179, doi:  10.32598/shenakht.11.2.162, [In Persisn].
Gessen, R. (1999). "Is there a crime?" (Translated by A.H. Najafi Abirandabadi), Legal Research Quarterly, No. 29-30, 61-102, [In Persisn].
Ghorasifarshi, M, Mehryar, A, & Ghazi Tabatabai, S M. (2001). "Application of the New NEO Personality Test and Analysis of Its Features and Factor Structure among Students of Iranian Universities", Alzahra Human Sciences Journal, 11(39), 173-198, [In Persisn].
Hariri Pirahrat, A, Mirakbari Shirabad, S H, Bazrafshan, E, and Abbasi, M. (2024). "The Level of Job Satisfaction and Mental Health of Teachers Based on the Big Five Personality Traits", the Fifth International Conference and the Eighth National Symposium on Management, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences, 1-16, [In Persisn].
 Hines, D.A., & Saudino, K.J. (2008). "Personality and intimate partner aggression in dating relationships: The role of the Big Five". Aggressive Behaviour, 34(6), 593-604, doi: 10.1002/ab.20277.
Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2024). "The promotive relationship between personality and self-reported offending", Psychology, Crime & Law, 30(4), 319-337, doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2022.2092620.
Karimi Sharafshahadeh, Mahdi; Karami, Abolfazl; & Karami Dehbaghi, Mahdi. (2017). "Comparison of Personality Traits and Intelligence in Male Cybercrime Offenders with the General Population of Tehran (2017) ", Journal of Police Medicine, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 78-84, doi: 10.30505/6.1.77, [In Persisn].
Khabreh, S & Golshani, F. (2021). "The Relationship between Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Big Five Personality Traits with Impulsivity in Young Adults with Tattoos", Journal of Health Psychology and Social Behavior, 1 (1), doi: 10.30495/HPSBJOURNA.2021.681110, [In Persisn].
Kinia, M. (2001). Criminal Psychology. Tehran: Roshd, 2nded, [In Persisn].
 Lin, Z. (2024). "Violent crimes in men and its causes: A literature review combining environmental, psychological and genetic factors of violent criminal behavior", Theoretical and Natural Science, 64, 40-49, doi:10.54254/2753-8818/64/20241575.
Michaeli Manee, F., Salehi, M., & Ahmadi Khouie, S. (2020). "The Dark Triad of Personality in Convicts and Non-convicts: Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy", Clinical Psychology and Personality, 15(1), 113-126, doi:10.22070/cpap.2017.15.1.113, [In Persisn].
Mirkhahili, S M. (2023). Criminology, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, 4thed, [In Persisn].
 Mosaku, S. K., Akinsulore, A., Onwuchekwa, I. J., Ibigbami, O. I., & Fatoye, F. O. (2013). "Personality Traits among Inmates of Aba Prison in Nigeria: Influence of the Five Factor Model on Inmate Status and type of Offences", Nigerian Journal of Psychiatry, 12(2), 9-15.
Mousavi Mojab, S. D. (2004). "White - Collar Criminals". Modarres Human Sciences, 8(3), 61-83, [In Persian].
Mousavi, S. Z; Masoudi, F; & Hamid, N. (2018). "Comparison of the Big Five Personality Traits among Male Prisoners and Non-Prisoners." Second International Conference on Psychology, Consultation, Education, 1-10, [In Persisn].
Najafi Abirandabadi, A. H. (2003; revised 2023). Lectures on Criminology, Shahid Beheshti University (as summarized by M K Taghdir), Faculty of Law, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, [In Persisn].
Najafi Abirandabadi, A. H. (2006). "Criminological Analysis of Economic Crimes." Culimination of law, Year 1, No. 5, [In Persian].
Najafi Abirandabadi, A. H; & Hashem Beyki, H. (2022). Lexicon of Criminology, Ganj Danesh Publishing, 6th ed, [In Persian].
Rayejian Asli, M. (2022). General Principles of Criminology: Contents and Development; from Past to Present. Tehran: Negah-e Moaser Publication, First edition, [In Persisn].Rostami Tabrizi, L. (2014). Criminal Psychology, Tehran: Majjma-e Elmi va Farhangi-ye Majd, First edition, [In Persisn].Palmieri, M., Shortland, N., & McGarry, P. (2021). "Personality and online deviance: The role of reinforcement sensitivity theory in cybercrime", Computers in human behavior, 120,
106745, doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106745.Pourkhosravani, M & Naeimi, M, (2020). "Examining the Relationship Between the Big Five Personality Traits and Mothers' Parenting Styles with Anxiety in Eleventh Grade Male Students in Qom Province", Iranian Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Science, 24(3), 103-112, [In Persisn]Putwain, D; & Samons, A. (2004). Psychology and Crime (Translated by D Najafi Tavana). Tehran: Mizan Legal Foundation, 1sted, [In Persian].
Samavatyan, H., Khani, F., Nouri, A., & Samsam Shariat, M.R. (2011). "The relationship between the big five personality factors of managers and supervisors with the employees's organizational citizenship behaviours."Knowledge & Research in Applied Psychology, 12(2), 39-46, [In Persisn].
Santos, A. L. M., Komatsu, A. V., & Bazon, M. R. (2020). "Personality aspects in violent and nonviolent juvenile offenders according to Jesness Inventory: a comparative study", Gerais: revista interinstitucional de psicologia, 13(2), 1-20.
Shamaeizadeh, N; Yousefi, Z (2018). "Multiple Relations between Personality Factors and History of Child abuse with Family Communications in Isfahan", Knowledge & Research in Applied Psychology, 19(3), 113-121, doi: 10.30486/jsrp.2018.544566, [In Persisn]. 
 Sudha, K. S., & Khan, W. (2013). "Personality and Motivational Traits as Correlates of Workplace Deviance among Public and Private Sector Employees", Journal of Psychology, 4(1), 25-32, doi: 10.1080/09764224.2013.11885491.
Teruel, D. S., & Bello, M. A. R. (2013). "El modelo "Big Five" de personalidad y conducta delictiva", International journal of psychological research, 6(1), 102-109, doi: 10.21500/20112084.709.Turner, M. J. (2014). "An Investigation of Big Five Personality and Propensity to Commit White-Collar Crime", In Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research, 57-94, doi: 10.1108/S1475-1488_2014_0000017002.
 Ulloa, E. C., Hammett, J. F., O'Neal, D. N., Lydston, E. E., & Aramburo, L. F. L. (2016). "The Big Five Personality Traits and Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from a Large, Nationally Representative Sample" Violence Vict, 31(6), 1100-1115, doi: 10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-15-00055Voller, E.K., & Long, P.J. (2010). "Sexual assault and rape perpetration by college men: The role of the big five personality traits", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(3), 457-480, doi: 10.1177/0886260509334390.
Yaghoubi, A., Aghaei, G. A., & Kardoost Gorshari, M. (2015). "Criminological Approaches of White-Collar Crimes", Criminal Law Research, 5(2), 191-219. [In Persian].
Criminal Law Research
Volume 17, Issue 2 - Serial Number 34
Papers
November 2026
Pages 139-157

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics