Low Self-Control
Definition
A stable personality trait characterised by impulsivity, insensitivity, risk-seeking, short-sightedness, and preference for non-verbal over cognitive tasks. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue it is formed by age eight through inadequate parenting and predicts crime and analogous risky behaviours across the life course.
- Proposed by
- Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990
- Formed by
- Approximately age eight
- Cited cause
- Inadequate or inconsistent parenting
- Theory name
- General theory of crime
Common questions
How does low self-control differ from a social-bond explanation of crime?+
Social bond theory looks at external ties, such as attachment and commitment, that restrain behaviour. Low self-control instead locates the cause in a stable, early-formed personality trait that predicts both crime and non-criminal risky acts like reckless driving.
What is the main criticism of the theory?+
Critics argue the trait is defined partly by the very behaviours it is meant to predict, and that the theory understates the role of situational opportunity and social change across the life course.
Related terms
- Analogous Behaviours
- Non-criminal acts that, according to the general theory, stem from the same low self-control as crime: reckless driving, smoking, alcohol misuse, employment...
- Attachment
- Emotional sensitivity to the opinion of significant others, particularly parents, teachers, and peers. An attached individual cares about what these others think...
- Commitment
- Investment in conventional lines of activity such as education, career, and reputation. A person with high commitment has much to lose from...
- General Theory of Crime
- The theory proposed by Gottfredson and Hirschi in 1990 holding that low self-control is the single variable explaining the universal age-crime curve....
- Social Bond
- The set of ties that connect an individual to conventional society. In Hirschi's model, the bond has four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement,...