NCJ Number
77503
Journal
Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1970) Pages: 284-287
Date Published
1970
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This study of female inmates examined the relationship of rule violations to the self-concept, the ideal self, the concept of parents, and the PD and MA scales on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).
Abstract
The subjects were 54 inmates from the Iowa State Women's Reformatory. Conviction offenses ranged from forgery to murder. The subjects' rule violations were evaluated on the basis of prison records and consultations with ward matrons and social workers. MMPI scores were obtained from the inmates' admission folders. These scores were rated for self and parent concepts in four content areas: destructive potential versus constructive potential, asocial narcissism versus social maturity, emotional discomfort versus emotional satisfaction, and social inferiority versus social superiority. The results showed that the PD and MA scales can be validated as measures of antisocial impulsiveness even within the rather homogeneous population of a women's reformatory. Furthermore, a strong negative relationship of age and impulsiveness was discovered. However, it did not appear that antagonistic behavior was triggered by the frustrations of personal incompetence, because rule violations were not related to low intelligence quotients, low educational level, or feelings of social inferiority. Rule violators described themselves as being more destructive, narcissistic, and emotionally distressed than did nonviolators. No evidence was found that resistance to institutional rules could be attributed to a more cynical view of morality, and the data suggest that a disturbed relationship with the mother figure may be more instrumental than negative feelings toward the father in the development of incorrigible behavior within a correctional institution. Related studies are reviewed. Data tables and a five-item reference list are included.