Methodological Issues in Survey Research on the Inhibition of Crime

In a recent article, Grasmick and Green' analyze the relationships they observe in their sample between scales for L = threat of legal punishment, S = threat of social disapproval, M = moral commitment to legal norms, I, = self-reported past involvement in illegal behavior, and If = estimated future involvement in illegal behavior. The authors interpret their data on the basis of an assumed underlying causal model in which L, S, and M each influence I, and If. Their findings are consistent with the proposition that each of the independent variables inhibits participation in crime.