EFFECT OF CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEE CLOTHING ON LEARNING BY INMATES IN A PRE-RELEASE CENTER

• NCJ Number: 49183
• Journal: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF CORRECTIONS Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER 1978) Pages: 38-46
• Author(s): A B FLIEGEL
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: State Technical Institute of Memphis
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE IMPACT OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS' CLOTHING ON THE LEARNING PERFORMANCE OF INMATES IS INVESTIGATED IN AN EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED IN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PRERELEASE PROGRAM.

Abstract

STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 138 INMATES RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS. EACH GROUP VIEWED A VIDEOTAPE OF A MAN DELIVERING A SPEECH ON EMOTIONAL MATURITY. IN ONE TAPE, THE LECTURER WORE A SHIRT AND TIE, IN THE SECOND TAPE HE WORE A T-SHIRT, AND IN THE THIRD HE WORE A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER'S UNIFORM. AFTER VIEWING THE TAPE, THE SUBJECTS COMPLETED A KNOWLEDGE TEST AND AN EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE. THE INMATES LEARNED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WHEN THE LECTURER WORE EITHER A TIE AND SHIRT OR A T-SHIRT THAN WHEN HE WORE A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER'S UNIFORM. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS RELATIVE TO INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION PRINCIPLES, OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING THEORY, AND THE CONCEPT OF SIMILARITY IN MODELING ARE DISCUSSED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES. (LKM)