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SHOPLIFTING INVENTORY
Shoplifting statistics are shocking!
There are approximately 26 million shoplifters in th
Theories about shoplifters proliferate because shoplifter motivation is complex. Shoplifters, lawyers, counselors and relatives give many rationalizations, motives, justifications and excuses, which include:
Most, if not all shoplifters, including first timers, scan (look around) the area until they decide it is safe to shoplift. The shoplifter “purposely conceals” upon his person or otherwise merchandise that is to be shoplifted. And this is done with the “intent” to steal.
Setting “guilt” or legality aside, there is consensus that shoplifter motivation is complex. Most counselors and therapists that treat shoplifters agree that shoplifting is not usually about greed or property. Contributing shoplifting factors are many and include a shoplifting disposition or outlook, peer pressure, impulsiveness, feelings of entitlement, substance (alcohol and other drugs) abuse and psychological depression. Research has linked these factors to shoplifting.
It is not by chance that the Shoplifting Inventory (SI) consists of the following nine measures or scales.
Nine Shoplifting Inventory Scales
1. Truthfulness Scale: Determines how truthful the client was while completing the Shoplifting Inventory (SI). This scale measures denial, problem minimization, attempts to fake good and if present, lying. 2. Shoplifting Scale: Measures a person’s attitude, motivation and predisposition to shoplift. A shoplifting mind-set or predisposition is quantified. This scale measures a person’s tendency toward or probability of shoplifting. 3. Peer Pressure Scale: Measures an individuals susceptibility (sensitivity) to negative (intimidation, taunts, threats, etc.) peer pressure. Refusing to “go along” can foster an acrimonious encounter. 4. Entitlement Scale: Measures a persons feeling (attitude, belief, mind-set, etc.) that they are entitled (deserve, have a right to, merit, etc.) to something (titles, privileges, materials goods, emotions, religious states, etc.). Common phraseology is “I am entitled,” “I deserve,” or “I have a right to.” 5. Antisocial Scale: Measures antisocial thinking and behavior, which incorporate an uncaring and irresponsible attitude. Hostility, unsocialbleness, disloyalty and adjustment problems are common. 6. Impulsiveness Scale: Measures one’s tendency to act hastily without forethought or reflection. This scale measures the respondents’ impulsiveness (actions without a lot of forethought) tendencies. 7. Alcohol Scale: Measures, when present, the severity of alcohol (beer, wine and other liquor) use or abuse. 8. Drugs Scale: Measures, when present, the severity of illicit drug (marijuana, crack, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, heroin, etc.) use or abuse. 9. Self-Esteem Scale: Reflects a person's explicit valuing and appraisal of self. It incorporates an attitude of acceptance-approval versus rejection-disapproval.
The Shoplifting Inventory (SI) is designed specifically for shoplifter assessment. The Shoplifting Inventory (SI) has 185 items and can be completed in 40 minutes. The Shoplifting Inventory is scored on-site with printed reports available within 2½ minutes of data entry. The Shoplifting Inventory has a high fifth to low sixth grade reading level.
Advantages of Screening Screening or assessment instruments and tests filter out individuals with serious problems that may need treatment. This filtering system works as follows:
A “problem” is not identified until a scale score is at or above the 70th percentile. These risk range percentiles are based on standardized data of Shoplifting Inventory (SI) tests. This procedure is fair and avoids extremes, i.e., over or under-identification of problems.
A court, probation department, assessment agency or treatment agency policy might refer clients with severe problems (11%) for further evaluation and/or treatment. In the above example eleven percent (11%) of the shoplifters screened would be referred.
Budgetary savings (dollars) would be large with no compromises in needy shoplifters receiving appropriate services. Indeed, more needy people would receive help. Without an objective screening program there is usually more risk of over or under-utilization of additional professional services.
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Reliability and ValidityThe Shoplifting Inventory (SI) has a built-in proprietary database that insures inclusion of all tests administered in a confidential (no names) manner. And, these reliability, validity and accuracy statistics are reported in the research summary document titled “SI: An Inventory of Scientific Findings.” SI scales maintain high reliability coefficients.
For example, coefficient alphas for SI scales are reported below for 1,037 shoplifters screened in the year 2002.
Reliability of the SI (N=1,037, 2002)
All SI scales have alpha coefficients well above the professionally accepted standard of .75 and are highly reliable. All coefficient alphas are significant at the p<.001 level.
Early SI studies used criterion measures and were validated with other tests, e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) L and F-Scales, 16PF, SAQ-Adult Probation III, MacAndrews, Defendant Questionnaire, etc. Much of this research is summarized in the “SI: An Inventory of Scientific Findings.” And, ongoing annual database analysis (research) is done to evaluate reliability and validity.
SI Test Booklets Shoplifting Inventory (SI) test booklets are provided free. These booklets contain 185 items and are written at a high 5th to low 6th grade reading level. If a person can read the newspaper, they can read the SI. Questions are direct and easily understood. It takes 30 minutes, on average, to complete this test. SI test booklets are available in both English and Spanish.
SI DatabaseThe SI system contains a proprietary database. All SI used diskettes are returned to Risk & Needs, and the test data along with related demographics are downloaded into the SI database. This expanding database allows ongoing research and testing program summary capabilities that were not possible before. Ongoing research ensures quality control. Annual testing program summaries provide program self-evaluation.
Built-in DatabaseThe SI permits ongoing research and annual program summary -- at no additional cost. When the 25 or 50 tests on a data diskette are used, that diskette is returned to Risk & Needs and downloaded into the expanding SI database.
Advantages of this proprietary database
are many and include database
(research) analysis and annual testing program summary reports.
In summary, having all used SI test data centrally filed at Risk & Needs’ offices has many advantages. Database analysis permits ongoing cost efficient research that includes scale alpha coefficients, frequency distributions, correlations, ANOVA, cross-tab statistics along with reliability, validity and accuracy determinations.
Unique SI FeaturesTruthfulness Scale: Identifies denial, problem minimization and faking. It is now known that many offenders attempt to minimize their problems. A Truthfulness Scale is a necessary component in contemporary tests. The SI Truthfulness Scale has been validated with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), polygraph exams, other tests, truthfulness studies and experienced staff judgment. The SI Truthfulness Scale has been demonstrated to be reliable, valid and accurate. In some respects, the SI Truthfulness Scale is similar to the MMPI’s L and F-Scales. It consists of a number of items that most people agree or disagree with.
Truth-Corrected Scores: Have been proven to be very important for assessment accuracy. This proprietary truth correction process is comparable to the MMPI K-Scale correction. The SI Truthfulness Scale has been correlated with its other 7 scales. The truth correction equation converts raw scores to Truth-Corrected scores. Truth-Corrected scores are more accurate than raw scores. Raw scores reflect what the shoplifter wants you to know. Truth-Corrected scores reveal what the shoplifter is attempting to hide.
More than just another alcohol or drug test. In addition to alcohol and drugs, the SI assesses other important areas of inquiry like shoplifter truthfulness, shoplifting probability, substance abuse, depression, entitlement, peer pressure, and impulsiveness. The SI is specifically designed for shoplifter screening.
Four ways to give the SI. The SI can be administered in four different ways: 1. Paper-pencil test booklet format is the most popular testing procedure. SI English and Spanish test booklets and answer sheets are available. 2. Tests can be given directly on the computer screen. Some agencies dedicate computers for SI testing. And, 3. Human voice audio in English or Spanish is available. And, 4. Online or over the internet Each test administration mode has advantages and some limitations. Risk & Needs offers four test modes so test users can select the administration mode that is optimally suited to their needs. These four ways to give the Shoplifting Inventory (SI) are explained more completely in the Shoplifting Inventory (SI) web page on www.riskandneeds.com.
Reading Impaired Assessment: Reading impaired offenders represent 20+ percent of the offenders tested. This represents a serious problem to other screening tests. Risk & Needs has developed an alternative for dealing with this problem: Human Voice Audio.
Human Voice Audio: Presentation of the SI is in English and/or Spanish. Clients’ passive vocabularies (what they hear) are often greater than their active (what they speak) vocabularies. Hearing items read out loud often helps reduce cultural and communication problems. This administration mode requires earphones and simple instructions to orient the offender to the up-down arrow keys on the computer keyboard. Human Voice Audio is an alternative approach for screening reading impaired offenders.
Confidentiality: Risk & Needs encourages test users to delete offender names from diskettes before they are returned to Risk & Needs. Once offender names are deleted, they are gone and cannot be retrieved. Deleting offender names does not delete demographics or test data, which is downloaded into the SI database for subsequent analysis. This proprietary name deletion procedure involves a few keystrokes and insures offender confidentiality. This “name deletion” procedure insures confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA (federal regulation 45 C.F.R. 164.501) requirements.
Test Data Input Verification: Allows
the person that inputs test data from the answer sheet into the computer
to verify the accuracy of their data input
Inventory of Scientific Findings: Much of the SI research has been gathered together in a document titled “SI: An Inventory of Scientific Findings.” This document summarizes SI research chronologically - as the studies were completed. This chronological reporting format was established largely because of the SI database, which permits annual database analysis of all tests administered.
www.riskandneeds.com The Risk & Needs website www.riskandneeds.com contains a lot of information on all Risk & Needs tests. Upon entering this website there are navigational links in the left margin of each webpage. Click “Tests Alphabetically Listed” and scroll down to the tests name you are interested in. Click on the tests name and you will go directly to that test’s webpage.
Internet Testing Risk & Needs tests are now also offered over Professional Online Testing Solutions, Inc. website www.online-testing.com. www.online-testing.com is an internet testing service offering state-of-the-art assessment instruments. Evaluators, screeners, assessors and testers can now use the internet to administer tests which offer impressive reliability, validity and accuracy. The Shoplifting Inventory can be administered entirely online, whether on-screen or by paper/pencil, individually or in groups. The Shoplifting Inventory is scored online and a report is generated on-site within 3 minutes of entering the data. Online or internet testing is convenient, always available and affordable at only $9.95 per test application.
Shoplifting Inventory Cost The following cost information is provided for your review. The standard Risk & Needs test unit fee is $8.00 per test. Volume discounts are available to statewide agencies, departments, professional associations, and professional groups, volume discounts are also available to evaluators that administer over 800 tests a year.
There is only the one cost or charge, and that is the test unit fee (U.S. currency). Everything else (test booklets, training manuals, upgrades, ongoing database research, etc.) is included at no additional cost to the test user. For more cost information, click on this COST link.
A 1-test demo diskette is available on a 30 day cost free basis. Demo diskettes are in Windows format, a one-time Windows setup procedure is required. Examination kits contain the 1-test demonstration diskette, test booklet, and training manual. Risk & Needs does want the demonstration diskette and test booklet returned within 30 days. www.riskandneeds.com provides a link on the right margin for Examination Kit - Free, or email us at skarca@riskandneeds.com.
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For more in-depth information explore the links provided below
Example Report Scale Interpretation Research Study
Training Manual Cost Inventory of Scientific Findings Interested in more testing websites? If so, click on this Testing Websites link.
Copyright © 2008. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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e United States.
In the last five years more than 12 million people were caught
shoplifting. Shoplifters cost retailers over $18 billion annually in
terms of lost sales. Yet, despite retailers spending millions of
dollars each year on surveillance and enforcement
Returned diskettes from a state, department, court or agency can be
selected from the database for research analysis. Database analysis
insures quality control.
. In brief, test data is input
twice, and any inconsistencies between the first and second data entries
are highlighted until corrected. When the first and second data
entries match or are the same, the staff person can continue. This
proprietary Data Input Verification procedure is optional, yet strongly
recommended by Risk & Needs.