NCJ Number
63994
Journal
Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Dated: (MAY 1978) Pages: 139-148
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE LEARNING BEHAVIOR OF A STUDY GROUP OF 266 WEST GERMAN PRISONERS AND A CONTROL GROUP OF 186 SOLDIERS IS STUDIED IN VARIOUS EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS.
Abstract
THE TEST POPULATION OF JUVENILE PRISONERS AND SOLDIERS OF COMPARABLE AGE AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND WERE EXPOSED TO VARIOUS LEARNING EXPERIMENTS BASED ON OPERANT CONDITIONING. THE LEARNING STIMULI CONSISTED OF OPTICAL AND AURAL SIGNALS (LIGHT BULBS, DIFFERENT SOUND AND NOISE LEVELS, SLIDE SHOWS, AND FILM STRIPS), AND THE RESULTS WERE ANALYZED THROUGH THE STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES PROGRAM. CIGARETTES, PLAY MONEY, AND VERBAL BEHAVIOR WERE USED AS MEANS OF REINFORCEMENT. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RESULT WAS THAT THE LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT (IN PARTICULAR UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT) OF THE CONVICTS AND SOLDIERS DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY. THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IN BEHAVIOR BETWEEN STUDY AND CONTROL GROUP OCCURRED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT. WHILE THE SOLDIERS PERFORMED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER UNDER PUNISHMENT THAN UNDER REWARD CONDITIONS, THE PRISONERS, WHO HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO PUNISHMENT, SHOWED NO IMPROVEMENTS. AN ADDITIONAL TEST SERIES ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF THE TEST POPULATION BY MEANS OF QUESTIONNAIRES REVEALED THAT PRISONERS WHO DID PARTICULARLY WELL UNDER PUNISHMENT AND REWARD CONDITIONS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PSYCHOPATHIC VALUES THAN THE REST OF THE PRISONERS. NO DIRECT RELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN CRIME RATE AND LEARNING ABILITY SINCE GOOD AND POOR LEARNERS SHOWED THE SAME PROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF OFFENSES. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES FOOTNOTES AND THE STATISTICAL RESULTS OF EACH EXPERIMENT IN CHART FORM. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)