PROBLEMS IN A MEASURE OF SELF-ESTEEM IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING

• NCJ Number: 42773
• Author(s): J ROUNDS
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IN THIS STUDY THE CALIFORNIA SELF-ESTEEM MEASURE APPLIED TO INMATES WAS FOUND CONTAMINATED BY BOTH SOCIAL DESIRABILITY AND MACHIAVELLIAN TENDENCIES IN THOSE TESTED.

Abstract

THE CALIFORNIA SELF-ESTEEM MEASURE, TOGETHER WITH A SOCIAL DESIRABILITY SCALE AND A MACHIAVELLIANISM SCALE WERE ADMINISTERED TO FIFTY INMATES UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE FIRST CALIFORNIA TEST. CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS FOR TOTAL SELF-ESTEEM SCORE WITH TOTAL SOCIAL DESIRABILITY SCORE AND TOTAL MACHIAVELLIANISM SCORE WERE QUITE HIGH, INDICATING THAT SELF-ESTEEM SCORES WERE LIKELY TO BE CONTAMINATED BY BOTH KINDS OF ARTIFACT. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT ANY ATTITUDINAL MEASURE EMPLOYED IN CORRECTIONAL RESEARCH NOT ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FROM, OR TESTED ON AN INMATE POPULATION SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY QUESTIONED AS TO RELIABILITY....RCB