Appraisal of social maturity by means of the CPI.

The CPI is scaled for "folk concepts," dimensions of interpersonal behavior theorized to be culturally universal. Social maturity is a significant pattern of behavior which one should be able to assess from these variables. The optimum constellation of scales for this purpose includes socialization, responsibility, flexibility, and dominance, with positive weightings, and good impression and communality with negative. An equation composed of these variables validly differentiated delinquent from nondelinquent males in the United States and in Italy. Among nondelinquents, it distinguished between cheaters and noncheaters on course examinations, and between moreand less-responsible high school students. Adjectival analyses revealed high-scorers on the equation to be dependable, foresighted, and capable.