LABORATORY ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIMENTS FOR CORRECTIONS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD

• NCJ Number: 41013
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1977) Pages: 513-526
• Author(s): E NGAN-LING CHOW; W E HEMPLE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ARTICLE DISCUSSES WHAT BENEFITS COULD BE OBTAINED FROM LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS.

Abstract

THE METHODOLOGY OF LABORATORY ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIMENTS HAS SELDOM BEEN APPLIED TO CORRECTIONS. ITS ADVANTAGES OF FLEXIBILITY, EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL, ABILITY TO REPLICATE THEORETICALLY IMPORTANT BUT NATURALLY RARE OCCURRENCES, AND ITS POTENTIAL FOR CROSS-VALIDATION OF OTHER RESEARCH ARE SHOWN TO BE OF BOTH PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL RELEVANCE TO CORRECTIONS. THE PROBLEMS OF REALISM, GENERALIZABILITY, PRACTICALITY, AND ETHICS ARE EXAMINED AND A REMEDY PROPOSED: THE SOCIODRAMATIC SIMULATION OF CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTRAST THE EFFECTS OF THEORETICALLY IMPORTANT STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND CORRECTIONAL APPROACHES. THIS REMEDY SYNTHESIZES THE REALISTIC AND THE SYMBOLIC APPROACHES TO ORGANIZATIONAL SIMULATION. IT IS PRACTICAL, AND IT RESOLVES MANY OF THE ETHICAL PROBLEMS.(AUTHOR ABSTRACT)....BDS