NCJ Number
53169
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (1977) Pages: 122127
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
METHOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES IN LABELING THEORY ARE OUTLINED, AS APPLIED TO THE PREDICTION OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, AND METHODOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE SUGGESTED FOR ISOLATING CRUCIAL VARIABLES.
Abstract
IT IS NOTED THAT CURRENTLY THE DEVELOPED COMPONENTS OF LABELING THEORY DO NOT ALLOW ACCURATE PREDICTION OF WHEN A CHILD'S BEHAVIOR WILL BE LABELED ANTISOCIAL. IT IS INDICATED THAT FUTURE RESEARCH MUST DELINEATE HOW ALL OF THE VARIABLES INVOLVED IN THE LABELING PROCESS INTERACT TO LEAD TO THE DESIGNATION OF 'ANTISOCIAL' FOR A CHILD. HOW AN INDIVIDUAL LABELER SELECTS A BEHAVIOR TO BE LABELED AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO INACCURATELY LABEL ARE ALSO CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS IN THE LABELING PROCESS WHICH MUST BE EXAMINED. DETERMINING RELEVANT INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES IS CONSIDERED CRUCIAL FOR RESEARCHERS STUDYING THE LABELING OF CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MUCH RESEARCH DONE ON LABELING THEORY FAILS TO DO THIS. IF THESE VARIABLES ARE TO BE DETERMINED, IT IS BELIEVED CONTROL GROUPS MUST BE USED IN EXPERIMENTATION. IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH GROUPS, NO BASELINES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ARE PROVIDED. IN SUMMARY, IT IS ADVISED THAT THE FOLLOWING TOPICS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR EXPERIMENTATION IF LABELING THEORY IS TO ADVANCE AS A RELEVANT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE: THE PARAMETERS INVOLVED IN THE DEFINITION OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR; THE CRITICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS WHO SELECT BEHAVIOR TO BE LABELED; THE ESSENTIAL VARIABLES OF THE LABELER, THE LABELEE, AND THE BEHAVIOR ITSELF WHICH INDUCE INAPPROPRIATE LABELING; THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LABELEE THAT STIMULATE OTHERS TO INACCURATELY LABEL HIM; THE PERCENTAGE OF VARIANCE ACCOUNTED FOR BY VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE LABELING PROCESS; THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF INACCURATE LABELING; AND HOW CHILDREN ARE PROCESSED FOR TREATMENT. MORE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WHICH USE TIME SERIES AND MULTIVARIATE DESIGNS, AND STATISTICAL PROCESSES SUCH AS ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE AND PATH ANALYSIS ARE RECOMMENDED AS NEEDED PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE LABELING PROCESS. (RCB)