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The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) is a self-report measure which is given to individuals who have been involved in criminal activity or are known to the Criminal Justice System. Although the PICTS is extensively used and its psychometric properties supported within the research, no critique has yet specifically assessed its utility with forensic populations. Therefore, the aim of the critique was to analyse the scientific and psychometric properties of the PICTS. Adaptions have been made to the PICTS from the first to the fourth revision due to issues with the reliability and validity of the measure. Although the PICTS does have satisfactory internal and retest reliability, the reliability of the validity scales within the measure has continued to be poor. Furthermore, no independent research on the measure has been undertaken. As such, gaps in research and issues that need to be addressed have been highlighted. Practical implications, limitations, and future research are also discussed.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the utility and reliability of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) to investigate the criminal cognitions of mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) from the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The reliability and validity of the PICTS scales were investigated within an MDO sample from the UK (N = 45) and compared to PICTS data from the USA and general offenders in the UK. Findings: The findings showed that the PICTS functioned in a similar way when used in MDO and non-MDO populations, indicating that from a psychometric perspective, the PICTS scales produce consistent results across both populations. Evidence is further provided to indicate that MDOs from the UK endorse criminal cognitions at a similar level to those in the USA and at a significantly higher level than general UK offenders. Practical implications: The implications and insight that these findings provide into the criminal cognitions of MDOs are discussed, with specific focus on the significant difference between general offenders and offenders with serious mental illness. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to use the PICTS with MDOs in the UK, comparing the criminal thinking styles of MDOs and non-MDOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of offenders has changed from focusing on risk management to also emphasizing salutogenic experiences as a protective factor. The programme ‘A New Direction’ involves cognitive intervention combining the above-mentioned approaches to treat young criminals and young persons at risk of developing a criminal lifestyle. In evaluating this programme, 61 participants from the Swedish social services and youth care facilities were divided into two treatment groups and two control groups. All participants were subjected to pre- and post-measurements using two questionnaires: the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) and the Sense of Coherence (SOC-13). The two treatment groups followed the programme during one week and 9–30 weeks, respectively, with the control groups measured at approximately the corresponding time intervals. The results show reduced PICTS from high to low levels and increased SOC only for the multi-week treatment group. Although the recidivism analysis revealed a greater reduction of convicted offences in the multi-week treatment group compared with the control group, the finding is tentative because of small sample sizes. To conclude, cognitive intervention shows promise for reducing criminal thinking patterns and increasing sense of coherence, which may have beneficial effects on the behaviour of young offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two meta-analyses were performed on the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS: Walters, 1995) as a predictor of recidivism. Seven samples from six different studies (5 published, 1 unpublished) were included in the first meta-analysis. The results revealed a pooled mean effect size (r) of .20 for the reconstructed General Criminal Thinking score (GCTrc), a pooled mean effect size of .17 for the reconstructed Proactive Criminal Thinking score (Prc), and a pooled mean effect size of .17 for the reconstructed Reactive Criminal Thinking score (Rrc). Data from three of these studies (4 samples) were sufficient to perform a meta-analysis of the incremental validity of the GCTrc. In all four samples, the GCTrc score predicted recidivism above and beyond the contributions of age and criminal history, with a mean effect size (odds ratio) of 1.27. Whereas the PICTS GCTrc score satisfied two of the three criteria for dynamic risk (i.e., dynamic risk factors are statistically and clinically significant predictors of outcome and are incrementally valid relative to well-established static risk factors), there is a need for additional data to assess its standing on the third criterion (i.e., changes in dynamic risk factors predict outcome and changes in outcome risk). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A total of 159 male inmates screened with the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) and Level of Service Inventory-Revised: Screening Version (LSI-R:SV) were followed for a period of 24 months for evidence of disciplinary infractions (incident reports). Eighty-three of these inmates also furnished a self-report of disciplinary infractions occurring during the 24-month follow-up. The PICTS General Criminal Thinking (GCT) score and LSI-R:SV total score correlated with and accurately identified the presence of an officially recorded disciplinary infraction, an officially recorded severe disciplinary infraction, and a self-reported disciplinary infraction but only age and the GCT score achieved incremental validity when age, GCT, and LSI-R:SV were included as predictors in the same probit regression or loglinear survival equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct validity of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles's Fear-of-Change scale (FOC) was evaluated by correlating it with scales from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). As expected, the FOC displayed a positive association with the PAl Anxiety (ANX) scale and negative associations with the PAl Positive Impression Management and Treatment Rejection scales among 136 male inmates. The FOC also forged a stronger relationship with the ANX's Cognitive subscale than with the Affective or Physiological subscales. It was further surmised that a subgroup of 54 participants retested after 3 months of program participation witnessed significant FOC gains. An independent sample of 239 medium-security male inmates participated in a second study in which significant FOC accretions were found in offenders who discontinued programming but not in offenders who continued or graduated. A third study conducted on 46 nonprogram participants effectively ruled out the alternative hypothesis that FOC scores rise in nonprogram offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) was developed to assess the eight thinking styles presumed to play a leading role in maintaining criminal patterns of interaction. In order to identify response styles and sets capable of altering a person's responses on the thinking style portion of the PICTS, two validity scales-one to measure confusion (Cf) and the other defensiveness (Df)-were constructed and incorporated into the PICTS. However, research has shown that the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and preliminary validity of these two scales are well below the levels attained by the eight thinking style scales. The two validity scales have therefore been revised by omitting several items from each scale and replacing them with items from the thinking style item pool. These revised scales demonstrate improved internal consistency, test-retest stability, and criterion validity on par with results recorded previously with the eight thinking style scales. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]