General Power-Control Theory of Women: Prosocial and Antisocial Risk-taking Behaviors among Women

Although Grasmick, Hagan, Blackwell, and Arneklev (1996) expanded general power-control theory to include both pro- and anti-social risky behaviors more than ten years ago, there have been no empirical tests of the theory to date. The current investigation tested a comprehensive model of general power-control theory using four different South Korean samples: women who enter traditionally male-dominated occupations (police officers and physicians), female prison inmates, and women incarcerated for intimate partner killing. Multigroup SEM approach was used to compare group means of latent constructs. The findings related to women¿s patriarchal attitudes and risk preference support the general power-control theory which focus on both pro- and anti-social risky behaviors, but the ones related to patriarchy of the family of origin support Hagan¿s original power-control theory focusing on only anti-social risky behaviors.