It is a pleasure to introduce edition number fi ve of The Psychology
of Criminal Conduct (PCC-5). As in PCC-1 through PCC-4, we update
research, theory, and applications in PCC-5. PCC-5 remains true to its
original intent of developing a holistic and truly interdisciplinary general
personality and social psychology of criminal conduct. We draw upon
a variety of theoretical positions on variability in the criminal behavior
of individual human beings but once again fi nd particular value in general
personality and cognitive-behavioral and cognitive social learning
perspectives on human behavior in general and criminal behavior in
particular.
We remain open to the full range of potential variables of interest
from the biological through the personal, interpersonal, familial, structural/
cultural, political/economic, and the immediate situations of action.
An outstanding change in criminology, forensic mental health, and
criminal justice over the last 20 years has been the enhanced position of
PCC academically and in practice. Indeed, applications of PCC have revolutionized
corrections and forensic mental health in many areas of
North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In applied terms,
prevention and corrections have moved from “nothing works” through
“what works” to “making what works work.” All of this occurred in a
political/judicial environment that was preoccupied with “getting tough.”