Investigating the Effect of Locus of Control, Sex and Age on Perceptions of Petty Crime.

The present research investigated locus of control, sex and age to identify which influenced crime perceptions and to what extent. A 2 (internal versus external locus of control) x 2 (male versus female) x 3 (young, middle and older adult) between groups' design was used. Sixty participants completed Rotter's (1966) Locus of Control Questionnaire and a perceptions of crime questionnaire. A 3x2x2 MANOVA was conducted. Only one main effect of sex was present, with males reporting themselves to be less likely to report suspicious behaviour than females. No other main effects were present across the remaining eight crime perception questions. Only one significant interaction existed, which suggested that older males and younger females were in favour of increased punishment for petty crimes. When investigating petty crime perceptions, locus of control is a less important consideration than sex and age differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]