Poster #193 - Smartphone Use as Opportunity in the Self-control Pathway to Delinquency

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

Gottfredson and Hirschi argued that low self-control is the primary cause of offending and analogous behaviors. Additionally, they noted that opportunity is ubiquitous and therefore would not influence this association. However, scholars have suggested that opportunity may condition the influence of self-control on antisocial outcomes. In this study, this notion is tested using seven waves of the 2nd Korean Child Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) study. Specifically, using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), it was examined if self-control predicts subsequent delinquency (e.g., general, cyber). Then, to test moderation, it was examined whether the cross-lagged paths were invariant across different levels of a measure of opportunity for delinquency (i.e., time spent on a smartphone). Preliminary results suggest that self-control predicts delinquency over time and that the influence of self-control on delinquency is moderated by opportunity. That is, the inverse association between self-control and delinquency is stronger when opportunity is higher. The findings from this study in terms of their implications for theory and research as well as their practical importance are discussed.

Author

• Hyunmin Park, University of Central Florida