Comparison of spiritual intelligence and self-control components in offender and non-offender individuals (Case study: gang member offenders of central prison, the city of Isfahan)

The aim of this study was to compare the spiritual intelligence and self-control in offender individuals and non-offender individuals and assess the correlation between these two groups. The statistic population was all gang members in central Isfahan prison and ordinary people residing in Isfahan.100 gang members and 100 usual non-offenders were selected as sample using simple random method. both groups matched according to age, marital status, gender and education. The Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire (King, 2008) and Self-Control Questionnaire (Tangney, 2004) were applied to collect data. The results of analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference between spiritual intelligence and its components (critical existential thinking, personal meaning production, transcendental awareness, conscious state expansion) and between self-control and its components (controversial self-control, initial self-control) of these two groups (P≤0.01), that is, offenders had less spiritual intelligence and self-control in relation to non-offenders. Therefore, significant differences were observed between these two groups(P≤0.05).