MMPI (MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY) AND CPI (CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL INVENTORY) AS MEASURES OF A PRISON TREATMENT PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 62894
• Author(s): B CADOW
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): 18468; 13202
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FCI RESEARCH REPORTS, V 9, N 1 (1977) BASED ON A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE

Annotation

THE USEFULNESS OF THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) AND THE CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL INVENTORY (CPI) IN EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF REHABILITATION PROGRAMS IS STUDIED.

Abstract

SPECIFICALLY, CHANGES IN PERSONALITY AS A FUNCTION OF OFFENDERS INCARCERATION ARE ASSESSED. DATA WERE COLLECTED AS PART OF A LARGER RESEARCH PROJECT AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, TALLAHASSEE, FLA., A MEDIUM-SECURITY PRISON FOR 550 YOUNG ADULT MALES. A BATTERY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED DURING THE ORIENTATION PERIOD AND AGAIN PRIOR TO EACH INMATE'S RELEASE. THE MMPI SAMPLE INCLUDED 292 WHITE INMATES AND 190 BLACK INMATES. THE CPI SAMPLE INCLUDED 157 WHITE INMATES AND 78 BLACK INMATES. AVERAGE SAMPLE AGE WAS 22.5 YEARS; AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY WAS 11.6 MONTHS. INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS WERE DEVELOPED BY A TEAM OF SPECIALISTS. THE MMPI QUESTIONS MEASURE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT. THE CPI RELATES PRIMARILY TO BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AND ATTITUDES. AN EXPERIENCED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST COMPARED THE PRETREATMENT AND POSTTREATMENT TEST RESULTS. IF THE HEALTHIER PROFILE WAS THE EXIT PROFILE, THEN SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM WAS INDICATED. IN ADDITION, COMPARISONS OF RESULTS WERE MADE ON A SCALE-BY-SCALE BASIS. IN MOST CASES, POSITIVE CHANGES WERE OBSERVED. ALTHOUGH THE PRESENT STUDY CANNOT ANSWER DEFINITIVELY WHETHER PRISON REHABILITATION IS SUCCESSFUL, IT CAN DEFINE THE CHANGES THAT CAN TAKE PLACE IN A YOUNG, ADULT, MALE, MEDIUM-SECURITY PRISON WHICH IS TREATMENT ORIENTED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FUTURE RESEARCH INCLUDE ADEQUATE CONTROL GROUPS FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES. STATISTICAL TABULAR DATA, GRAPHS, REFERENCES, AND A LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. (LWM)