NEGATIVE SOCIAL SANCTIONS, SELF-DEROGATION, AND DEVIANT-BEHAVIOR - MAIN AND INTERACTIVE EFFECTS IN LONGITUDINAL PERSPECTIVE

This article reports the results of a multiple regression model that u sed longitudinal data (N = 2,545) to examine the interactive effects o f negative social sanctions and self-derogation on deviant behavior (n et of the effect of earlier deviant behavior). The analysis was based on the notion that some of the apparently contradictory evidence surro unding the examination of the labeling perspective may lie in a failur e of researchers to focus on the conditions under which the labeling e ffect may or may not be appropriate. Some studies, for example, have s hown that higher status individuals (Whites, males, those with higher socioeconomic status) are more at risk for escalating deviance after b ecoming labeled a deviant than their lower status counterparts. It is theoretically important, therefore, to seek other subgroups for which labeling theory holds (and does not hold) to help explain the inconsis tent findings. Specifically, this study examined the extent to which s elf-rejection moderated the relationship between negative social sanct ions and deviance in addition to exercising direct and mediating effec ts. A positive main effect of self-derogation at Time 1 was observed o n deviance at Time 3, and a strong positive effect of negative social sanctions at Time 2 was observed on deviance at Time 3, controlling fo r earlier deviance. Importantly, for those respondents with low levels of self-derogation, a positive effect of negative social sanctions on later deviance was observed. This effect was considerably weaker, how ever, for those who reported high levels of self-derogation, although the relationship between the two concepts was still positive. Thus, hi ghly self-derogating individuals who were sanctioned appeared to engag e in increased levels of later deviance, net of earlier deviance (the labeling effect). The labeling effect was significantly stronger, howe ver, for those who had very low levels of self-derogation.