IMPLICIT THEORIES OF THE ETIOLOGY OF CRIME - DIFFERENTIAL PERCEPTION OF THE CAUSES;-LIKELIHOOD OF CHANGE IN, AND BEST TREATMENT FOR SELECTED CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS

• NCJ Number: 54675
• Author(s): V J HARDING
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 281 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

CRIME CAUSATION IS ADDRESSED, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE EDUCATION IS PERCEIVED TO HAVE IN CRIME CAUSATION AND THE EFFICACY OF EDUCATION AS A REHABILITATIVE STRATEGY.

Abstract

THE BASIS FOR THE STUDY WAS THE WORK OF CRONBACH AND OTHERS WHO SUPPORT THE IMPLICIT PERSONALITY THEORY IN CRIME CAUSATION, A THEORY WHICH PERMITS ONE TO USE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS TO INFER OTHER THINGS. INCLUDED IN A CRIME CAUSALITY QUESTIONNAIRE WERE ITEMS REFLECTING IDEOLOGIES THAT HAVE BEEN OR ARE SUPPORTED BY CRIMINOLOGISTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE THREE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS MADE WERE: (1) THAT SUBJECTS ACKNOWLEDGED BEHAVIORAL STIMULI AS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, (2) THAT SUBJECTS KNEW WHAT CRIMINAL DESCRIPTIONS MEAN, AND (3) THAT THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL, OF SUBJECTS WERE NOT ACQUAINTED WITH ANY PERSONS LIKE THE CRIMINAL TYPES USED IN THE STUDY. THE HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY WERE THAT EDUCATION IS DIFFERENTIALLY PERCEIVED AS A FACTOR IN CRIME CAUSATION AND IS PERCEIVED AS THE PRIMARY DEFICIENT AREA WITH REGARD TO CERTAIN TYPES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; THAT SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AS THE BEST TREATMENT WILL COINCIDE WITH THE IDENTIFICATION OF EDUCATION AS THE PRIMARY PERCEIVED CAUSE OF CRIME; THAT THE PERCEIVED CORRECTABILITY OF BEHAVIOR IS DEPENDENT ON THE TYPE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PERCEIVED; AND THAT PERCEIVED CAUSATION, PERCEIVED CHANGEABILITY IN BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEIVED BEST TREATMENT ARE DEPENDENT ON ATTRIBUTES OF THE PERCEIVER. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ENROLLED AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DURING THE SUMMER OF 1977 SERVED AS SUBJECTS. THE FIRST AND FOURTH HYPOTHESES WERE SUPPORTED, WHILE THE SECOND AND THIRD HYPOTHESES WERE REJECTED. A GENERAL THEORY OF CRIME CAUSATION IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ADVOCATE ON THE BASIS OF THE FINDINGS. THE ARGUMENT IS MADE FOR A MORE INTRICATE SYSTEM OF DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON SURVEYS, SOCIETAL REACTIONS TO CRIME, AND CRIMINAL TYPOLOGIES IS PRESENTED. FORMS USED IN THE STUDY ARE APPENDED, AND SUPPORTING DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)