Imbalance on the Weights Test and violence among delinquents

This study forms part of a continuing series investigating the correlates of violent crime. The Weight Test, a measure of proprioceptive cognition, was administered to 41 community-retained Caucasian juvenile and adult male legal offenders whose offenses were rated for violence by the Violence Scale. As hypothesized, the Weight Test results were related to Violence Scale scores. Within four age ranges, offenders whose Weights Test scores suggested mild impairment, also had committed more violent offenses, in comparison with a combined group of those whose Weights scores suggested either: (a) no impairment or (b) moderate impairment. Reasons for the greater violence of the mildly impaired were sought within other studies of proprioceptive function as it relates to psychological disorder.