Eysenck's theory of criminality applied to women awaiting trial

American women awaiting trial were administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Compared to a heterogeneous control group, these women scored significantly higher on the neuroticism and psychoticism scales and on Burgess's 'hedonism' variable, though they did not differ with respect to extraversion or lie scale scores. Women awaiting trial were more likely to fall in the neurotic-extravert quadrant (a trend more marked for non-white women). In general, the results support Eysenck's theory of criminality and the usefulness of Burgess's 'hedonism' variable.