NCJ Number
18917
Date Published
1969
Length
169 pages
Annotation
INVESTIGATES THE BEHAVIOR OF HABITUAL PUBLIC OFFENDERS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY PROPOSES THAT DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING, AND, MORE IMPORTANT, THE APPARENT INCONSISTENCY OF MEASURES USED IN ATTEMPTING TO MODIFY THIS LEARNING, ARE RELATED TO PERSONALITY FACTORS IN THE OFFENDER. THREE GROUPS OF HABITUAL PUBLIC OFFENDERS, IDENTIFIED AS DYSSOCIAL, ANTI-SOCIAL, AND ASOCIAL, AND BASED UPON CRITERIA DEVELOPED IN THE THEORETICAL FORMULATION OF THIS RESEARCH, WERE ESTABLISHED. THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE EXPOSED TO A NUMBER OF LEARNING TASKS, UNDER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS OF LEARNING, IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE WHETHER AND HOW THESE GROUPS DIFFERED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE TASKS. A TOTAL OF 60 INMATES OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT WALPOLE PARTICIPATED AS SUBJECTS.