Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Mark Fondacaro
Second Reader
Kelly McWilliams
Third Advisor
Mawia Khogali
Abstract
The current study examined the legal understanding and decision-making capacities of young adults compared to older adults. Furthermore, the current study examined these two age groups on the basis of a history of criminal justice involvement, antisocial behavior, and education level, in order to determine whether these variables also affect legal understanding and decision-making. One hundred and one subjects participated in this study, grouped by age into younger adults (18-34 years old) and older adults (35 years and older). The results of the current study found that participants with the lowest levels of education performed more poorly on the measure of legal understanding than subjects with higher levels of education. Adults with criminal justice system involvement were found to have lower levels of education and higher ratings of antisocial behavior than adults with no criminal justice system contact. Criminal justice contact was found to have no relation to legal understanding. Finally, there were no significant difference between the two age groups on education, antisocial behavior, and legal understanding, regardless of criminal justice contact. The findings of the current study demonstrate that contact with the criminal justice system, level of education, and antisocial behavior are related to legal understanding in significant ways that may impact adults in the community.
Recommended Citation
Alpers, Lily and Fondacaro, Mark, "The Influences of Education, Antisocial Behavior, and Involvement in the Criminal Justice System on Adult Legal Understanding" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/128