Comparing spiritual intelligence and early maladaptive schemas between persistent offenders, first offenders, and normal individuals

The aim of this study was to compare spiritual intelligence and early maladaptive schemas among persistent offenders, first offenders, and normal individuals.
To conduct this Ex-Post Facto study, 35 persistent offenders and 35 first offenders were selected randomly among the prisoners of the Vakil-Abad prison. Furthermore, 35 individuals were selected from ordinary (Non-criminal) people. The participants were asked to complete Young Schema Questionnaire (short form, 1998) and Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire.
The results of the current study indicated that the first offenders compared with persistent offenders and normal individuals got higher scores at disconnection and rejection area, and also impaired autonomy and performance area. The results also revealed that the persistent offenders compared with first offenders and normal individuals got higher scores at impaired limits area. Regarding with the spiritual intelligence there was no significant differences between the three groups.
The results showed that offenders compared with normal individuals suffer from high levels of early maladaptive schemas, but there was no significant differences in spiritual intelligence of the participants in the three groups.