The Multidimensional Structure of Gottfredson and Hirschi's Concept of Self-Control: An Empirical Analysis of the Grasmick et al.'s Operationalization.

The purpose of this study is to determine the unidimensionality of Grasmick's operationalization of Gottfredson and Hirschi's criminality inducing the concept of low self-control. By applying confirmatory factor analysis procedures that incorporate advances in the application, the proposed six factor model and two alternative models were examined suggesting that Grasmick's low self-control scale actually contains 6 distinguishable factors, not a single factor. The factors identified to be consistent with the six-factor model were impulsivity, simple tasks, risk seeking, physical activities, self-centered, and temper.