An Assessment for Criminal Thinking

2005/11/21 by Kevin Knight, Bryan R. Garner, D. Dwayne Simpson +2
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis #Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending

paper · doi:10.1177/0011128705281749

openalex publication_date 2005/11/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

Risk assessments generally rely on actuarial measures of criminal history. However, these static measures do not address changes in risk as a result of intervention. To this end, this study examines the basic psychometric properties of the TCU Criminal Thinking Scales (TCU CTS), a brief (self-rating) instrument developed to assess cognitive functioning expected to be related to criminal conduct. Findings demonstrate that these scales have good psychometric properties and can serve as a short but reliable self-reported criminal thinking assessment. Their applications as part of an assessment system to determine offender progress and effectiveness are discussed.

Citations

• Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit
• Comparative fit indexes in structural models.
• The Scree Test For The Number Of Factors
• Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests
• The Application of Electronic Computers to Factor Analysis

Related

• Development and Testing of the Texas Christian University Criminal Thinking Scales 3.0
• Reliability, Validity, and Predictive Utility of the 25-item Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS)
• The predictive performance of criminal risk assessment tools used at sentencing: Systematic review of validation studies
• The Predictive Validity of Risk Assessment with Violent Young Offenders
• Modeling Offenders' Decisions: A Framework for Research and Policy