Relative Deprivation and Deviant Adaptations: The Mediating Effects of Negative Self-Feelings

Theoretically informed models are estimated that specify individual-level effects of relative deprivation (using diverse comparison groups), mediated by negative self-feelings, on different modes of deviant adaptations. The models are estimated by using multivariate logistic regression techniques on survey data (N = 6,074). In general, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that perceived economic deprivation relative to friends, neighbors, and the nation induces negative self-feelings, which, in turn, motivate adoption of deviant patterns that variously take the form of property crimes, violence, and drug use.