INVESTIGATION OF POTENTIAL ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGES OCCURRING IN CRIMINAL OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 49244
• Author(s): M L JOHNSON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 95 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: EAST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

TWO GROUPS OF PROBATIONERS PARTICIPATING IN DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS ARE COMPARED TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO A CONTROL GROUP TO DETERMINE IF THE SUBJECTS HAVE UNDERGONE ANY ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGES.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH THE HUNT COUNTY, TEXAS PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO WERE CONSULTANTS TO THE PROJECT. DIFFERING PATTERNS OF GROUP THERAPY WERE USED IN TWO EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS -ONE GROUP PROGRAM CONSISTED OF AN OPEN ENDED DISCUSSION AMONG MEMBERS CONCERNING PERSONAL FEELINGS AND A SECOND GROUP UTILIZED LECTURES AND OTHER FORMS OF TRADITIONAL EDUCATION METHODS. BOTH GROUPS AIMED AT CHANGING ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS. EACH GROUP CONSISTED OF 16 MEMBERS, TREATED FOR 12 WEEKS, WITH 2 HOUR SESSIONS HELD EACH WEEK. A THIRD GROUP RECEIVED NO TREATMENT CONCURRENTLY WITH THE OTHER GROUPS AND WAS USED AS A CONTROL GROUP. THE INSTRUMENTS USED TO ASSESS CHANGES IN ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATION WERE THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDINAL SCALE AND THE MOTIVATION ANALYSIS TEST. ALL SUBJECTS WERE PRETESTED AND POSTTESTED TO DETERMINE IF ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGES OCCURRED DURING THE TREATMENT PERIOD. THE VARIABLES CONSIDERED CONSISTED OF: GROUP PLACEMENT; EDUCATIONAL LEVEL; TYPE OF SUPERVISION; AND ADJUDICATION OFFENSE. BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE DATA ANALYZED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ATTITUDES BETWEEN PERSONS IN DIFFERENTLY STRUCTURED GROUPS. THOSE PROBATIONERS EXPOSED TO THE OPEN ENDED DISCUSSION GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POSITIVE VIEW OF THEMSELVES THAN DID SUBJECTS IN THE DIDACTIC AND CONTROL GROUPS. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE ALSO FOUND IN ATTITUDINAL CHANGES OF PERSONS OF DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS. PROBATIONERS WHO HAD COMPLETED 12 OR MORE YEARS OF FORMAL EDUCATION HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POSITIVE VIEW OF THEMSELVES, OTHER PEOPLE, AND AUTHORITY THAN DID THOSE OF LESSER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. MEMBERS OF THE DIDACTIC GROUP SHOWED THE GREATEST CHANGE IN CAREER MOTIVATION AND DRIVE FOR ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY ARE SUGGESTED. A SAMPLE OF THE SEMANTIC OF DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDINAL SCALE IS PROVIDED IN THE APPENDIX, AND REFERENCES ARE ALSO INCLUDED. (RCB)