LUESCHER COLOR THEORY - CIVILIANS AND CRIMINALS - A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 67822
• Journal: ART PSYCHOTHERAPY Volume: 4 Dated: (APRIL 1977) Pages: 215-217
• Author(s): R C RAHN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A QUANTITATIVE INDEX OF HOLISTIC PERFORMANCE ON THE SHORT LUESCHER COLOR TEST (LCT) IS PRESENTED AS D-SQUARED, A MEASURE OF AN INDIVIDUALS' AMOUNT OF AFFECTIVE CONTROL WITH REGARD TO NEED SATISFACTION.

Abstract

THE DEVELOPMENT OF LCT'S D-SQUARED AROSE OUT OF THE SUGGESTION THAT THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT TO WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL HAS TO ADJUST WILL INFLUENCE HIS AMOUNT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED SATISFACTION OR DISSATISFACTION. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT A MORE PERMISSIVE AND APPETITIVE CIVILIAN ENVIRONMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSION OF ONE'S NEEDS, AND A MORE CONTROLLED AND AVERSIVE PENAL ENVIRONMENT SHOULD DISCOURAGE THE BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSION OF ONE'S NEEDS. MOREOVER, CIVILIANS SHOULD OBTAIN TOTAL LCT PROTOCOLS THAT INDICATE GENERALLY GREATER BEHAVIORAL SPONTANEITY OF NEED EXPRESSION WHEREAS INCARCERATED CRIMINALS SHOULD OBTAIHN TOTAL LCT PROTOCOLS THAT INDICATE GENERALLY GREATER BEHAVIORAL RESTRAINT OF NEED EXPRESSION. TO ASSESS THE LUESCHER COLOR HYPOTHESIS THAT CIVILIANS AND INCARCERATED CRIMINALS WILL DIFFER IN THE AMOUNT OF AFFECTIVE CONTROL THEY EXERCISE OVER THEIR BEHAVIOR, D-SQUARED WAS DERIVED FROM A FORMULA. WHEN LCT WAS ADMINISTERED TO CIVILIANS AND INCARCERATED CRIMINALS UNDER STANDARD CONDITIONS, AND THEIR D-SQUARED VALUES CALCULATED, THE AMOUNT OF AFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER THEIR BEHAVIOR WAS SHOWN TO BE LESS FOR THE CIVILIANS THAN INCARCERATED CRIMINALS. THESE RESULTS LEND EMPIRICAL SUPPORT TO D-SQUARED AS A GENERAL MEASURE OF A PERSON'S AFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER BEHAVIOR, CONSISTENT WITH DEDUCTIONS TO BE MADE FROM LUESCHER'S COLOR THEORY. THEY ALSO SUGGEST THAT IN A LESS CONTROLLED AND PERHAPS LESS RESTRICTED CIVILIAN ENVIRONMENT, INDIVIDUALS CAN BE EXPECTED TO ACT GENERALLY WITH GREATER BEHAVIORAL SPONTANEITY OF NEED EXPRESSION THAN IN A MORE CONTROLLED AND PERHAPS MORE RESTRICTIVE PRISON ENVIRONMENT. FURTHER RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED TO ESTABLISH MORE CLEARLY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DSQUARED AND MORE PERSONOLOGICAL VARIABLES, SUCH AS INTELLIGENCE, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, OR CHRONOLOGICAL AGE. THE FORMULA AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED, AS ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES.