EFFECTS OF USING A MOD VERSUS A TRAIDITONAL APPROACH IN COMMUNICATING WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENTS

• NCJ Number: 14473
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1974) Pages: 56-62
• Author(s): J LOWE; W CHILDERS
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

COMPARISON OF INTERVIEW CONTENT WHEN YOUNG ADULT INTERVIEWERS USE A 'TRADITIONAL' FORMAL APPROACH AND A MORE RELAXED, INFORMAL 'MOD' APPROACH.

Abstract

ONE PAIR OF INTERVIEWERS USED A TRADITIONAL APPROACH IN WHICH THEY ASKED STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTIONS USING MIDDLECLASS LANGUAGE WHILE BEING WELL GROOMED AND DRESSED IN A SUIT AND TIE. THE OTHER PAIR ASSUMED A MOD APPEARANCE WITH BEARD, MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, AND SPORT CLOTHES AND USED THE LANGUAGE OF THE YOUTH SUBCULTURE. THE LATTER PAIR ADDITIONALLY ENHANCED THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH THE JUVENILES BY ATTEMPTING TO RELATE DIRECTLY TO THE BOY. TWENTY BOYS (10 WHITE, 10 BLACK) AGED 15-18, WERE INTERVIEWED, WITH HALF BEING EXPOSED TO THE MOD PAIR AND HALF TO THE TRADITIONAL PAIR FIRST. SEVEN DAYS LATER EACH PAIR INTERVIEWED THE OTHER HALF OF THE SAMPLE. ALL SUBJECTS WERE ASKED THE SAME BASIC QUESTIONS BY BOTH PAIRS OF INTERVIEWERS. TAPE RECORDINGS WERE MADE OF EACH INTERVIEW SO AS TO ASCERTAIN THE TIME AND CONTENT OF SUBJECTS AND INTERVIEWERS' COMMUNICATIONS. ANALYSIS OF THE TAPES INDICATES THAT (1) THE MOD PAIR WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS THAN THE TRADITIONAL PAIR WAS, (2) THE SUJECTS'S RESPONSE TIME WAS THREE TIMES AS GREAT FOR THE MOD INTERVIEWS AS FOR THE TRADITIONALS, (3) THE RATIO OF THE SUBJECTS' RESPONSE TIME TO INTERVIEWERS' RESPONSE TIME SHOWS THE SUBJECTS IN THE MOD INTERVIEWS WERE TWICE AS VERBAL AS IN THE TRADITIONAL INTERVIEWS, (4) SUBJECTS' ANSWERS IN BOTH SETTINGS WERE REASONABLY ACCURATE BUT THOSE IN THE MOD SETTING WERE MORE DETAILED AND DISCLOSED MORE INFORMATION NOT SOLICITED BY THE QUESTIONERS, (5) THE WHITE SUBJECTS RESPONDED TO THE MOD SQUAD (IN TERMS OF RESPONSE TIME) MORE READILY THAN BLACK SUBJECTS, AND (6) RESPONSES TO TRADITIONAL QUESTIONING ELICITED NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHEREAS THE MOD SQUAD QUESTIONING BROUGHT FORTH SEVERAL COMMENTS. OVERALL, THE DATA FROM THIS PILOT PROJECT INDICATE THAT INSTITUTIONALIZED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, ESPECIALLY WHITE BOYS, RESPOND MORE FREELY TO PERSONS WHO ATTEMPT TO RELATE TO THE YOUTH LIFE STYLE AND WHO HAVE ACQUIRED AND USED SKILLS THAT FACILITATE GOOD COMMUNICATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)