California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Latest update: March 3, 1999
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Jeanne at jcurran@csudh.edu
Subject line: jjex5: antecedent factors in juv delinq
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1. What were the control variables that Glueck and Glueck used? (p. 117)

   Glueck and Glueck used "age, general intelligence, national (ethnico-racial) origin, and residence in underprivileged neighborhoods" as control variables.

2. How is measurement a problem with these variables?

   All these variables are complex. Age may include a degree of sophistication, often determined by the peer group, intelligence? - paper and pencil tests??, ethnic or race - what my family says I am, what I believe I am? ??, underprivileged neighborhoods - live with parents? grandparents? all the time, sometimes? where you go to school???

3. What does it mean to control a variable?

   It means that you select a sample in which that variable is not permitted to vary. For example, if you want to control on gender, you may have a sample of males only. Gender cannot vary as male, female. No females are included.

4. What kind of study did Glueck and Glueck do?

   G and G did an experimental study with experimental and control groups for comparison.

5. What did they find as possible causal factors? And what might a critical analysis suggest?

   G and G mention factors like school attainment and school misbehavior. Critical analysis might suggest that such factors are complex in measurement and that causal analysis may be suspect because ther may be other antecedent causal factors, such as failure to understand assignments, failure of assignments to relate to real life situations for the children, problems at home, etc.

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