ABSTRACT
Temperament is an important concept that has rich meaning in everyday life and science. The chapter discusses the temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior and offer several research directions that could guide criminological research using a temperament perspective. Effortful control is the ability to inhibit a dominant response in favor of a subdominant, but more socially appropriate response. It is the raw material for self-regulation, and virtually all roles and responsibilities in life require effortful control. The latter point is the unique feature of M. DeLisi and M. G. Vaughn’s theory, and the point that sets it apart from most criminological theories. The theory offers an opportunity to examine sex differences in antisocial behavior across the life course. Although the theory focused on anger, hostility, and more externalizing-oriented emotions, less was written about internalizing-oriented emotions such as anxiety, fear, and depression. From a temperamental perspective, antisocial behavior is more or less likely based upon the suite of temperamental features that typify an individual’s behavior.
