We explore the implications of multiple reference groups for symbolic interaction explanations of delinquency. Specifically, we test the idea that dissimilarity in reflected appraisals across reference groups weakens the effect of the appraisals of a single group on behavior. We also assess whether the relative influence of different reflected appraisals is moderated by differences in the amount of time spent in and attachment to the roles taken among specific reference groups. Using data from the National Youth Survey, our findings mostly support symbolic interactionist predictions: Dissimilarity in reference groups' reflected appraisals weakens the influence of a single group's appraisals on behavior. We also found some evidence that, relatively, the more time an individual spends and the more attached they are to a role in a particular reference group, the more strongly correlated the respective appraisals are with delinquent behavior. Contrary to our predictions, we found that relatively strong attachments to one's role with their parents weakens the influence of parental reflected appraisals as a rule violator.

我们探讨了多个参考组对犯罪的符号交互解释的影响。具体来说，我们测试了这样一种观点，即参考群体之间反映的评估的差异削弱了单个群体的评估对行为的影响。我们还评估了不同反映评估的相对影响是否受到特定参考组之间花费的时间和对角色的依恋差异的影响。使用来自全国青年调查的数据，我们的研究结果大多支持符号互动论的预测：参考群体反映的评价的差异削弱了单个群体的评价对行为的影响。我们还发现了一些证据，相对而言，一个人花费的时间越多，他们对特定参考群体中的角色的依恋程度越高，各自的评估与犯罪行为的相关性就越大。与我们的预测相反，我们发现对父母角色的相对强烈依恋削弱了父母反映的评估作为违反规则的影响。