NCJ Number
47974
Journal
Psychological Reports Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: (DECEMBER 1977) Pages: 1179-1182
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
TO DETERMINE WHETHER INCREASES IN FEMALE CRIMINALITY MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING FEMALE ATTITUDES AND SEX-ROLES, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 25 FEMALE INMATES AND 25 FEMALE-COLLEGE STUDENT CONTROLS.
Abstract
IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT IF THERE IS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FEMINIST ORIENTATION AND CRIMINALITY, THEN CONVICTED FEMALES SHOULD DISPLAY MORE FEMINIST ATTITUDES THAN THEIR NONCRIMINAL COUNTERPARTS. THE CONTROL POPULATION WAS SIMILAR TO THE INMATE GROUP IN AGE DISTRIBUTION, RACE, AND MARITAL STATUS. TEST INSTRUMENTS INCLUDED THE OPEN SUBORDINATION TO WOMEN SCALE (OSW) MEASURING ATTITUDES TOWARD ALLEGED FEMALE INFERIORITY AND OFFENSIVENESS, THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN SCALE (ATW) MEASURING ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND ROLES, AND THE MF SCALE OF THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) MEASURING FEMINITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN TERMS OF TRADITIONAL ROLE DEFINITIONS. SUBJECTS WERE ALSO ASKED TO SUPPLY DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AND GENERAL ATTITUDES TOWARD THE WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT. INDEPENDENT T-TESTS WERE TAKEN TO COMPARE SCORES OF THE TWO SAMPLES ON EACH TEST. ANALYSIS OF ATW AND OSW INDICATED THAT, IN GENERAL, FEMALE INMATES VIEWED WOMEN AS WEAK, LESS CAPABLE, AND UNABLE TO CONTROL THEIR EMOTIONS. THEY ALSO FELT THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE SUBMISSIVE AND FAITHFUL TOWARD THEIR HUSBANDS, AND SHOULD NOT DRINK, CURSE, OR SMOKE. COLLEGE WOMEN, ON THE OTHER HAND, FELT THAT WOMEN SHOULD ASSERT THEMSELVES, PLAY A LEADING ROLE WHERE APPLICABLE, AND MAINTAIN THEIR EQUALITY IN SOCIOSEXUAL MATTERS, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND FAMILY MATTERS. ALL BUT TWO OF THE INMATES EXPRESSED NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN'S LIBERATION, WHILE ALL THE COLLEGE WOMEN EXPRESSED POSITIVE ATTITUDES. RESULTS ON THE MMPI INDICATED THAT FEMALE INMATES VIEWED THEMSELVES AS LESS FEMININE IN NATURE, WHILE COLLEGE STUDENTS VIEWED THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF TRADITIONAL SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPES (I.E., SELF-PITYING, PASSIVE, CONSTRICTED, SOFT, DEPENDENT). RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT AND FEMINIST ATTITUDES ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCREASE IN FEMININE CRIME. THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS INCREASE IS THE RESULT OF MORE FREQUENT ARRESTS, CONVICTIONS, AND SENTENCING OF WOMEN IS SUGGESTED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)