NCJ Number
67191
Date Published
1980
Length
123 pages
Annotation
ERHARD SEMINAR TRAINING (EST) WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION WAS ASSESSED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT THE MEDIUM-SECURITY FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT LOMPOC, CALIF., IN 1975. INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM WERE 150 RANDOMLY CHOSEN INMATES AND 80 NONPARTICIPANTS, ALSO RANDOMLY SELECTED AS A CONTROL GROUP. EST VOLUNTEERS DIFFERED LITTLE FROM NONVOLUNTEERS IN BACKGROUND, THEY HAD MORE WORK EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER, AND FEWER PRIOR ARRESTS. THE TRAINING GOAL WAS TO LEARN HOW TO CREATE MOMENTS OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION, THAT IS, TO BECOME AN ORIGINATOR RATHER THAN A PAWN THAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE EFFECTS OF LIFE. THE FIRST SEGMENT OF TRAINING INVOLVES BREAKING UP INDIVIDUAL PATTERNS OF THINKING AND EMPHASIZING RESPONSIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR. THE SECOND SEGMENT EXPLAINS THE TRAINING PROCESS, AND THE THIRD IS THE PROCESS. TRAINEES ARE FORCED TO GIVE UP THEIR 'BELIEFS' AND FOCUS ON THEIR EXPERIENCES OF WHAT IS HAPPENING THROUGH UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES, SUCH AS RESTRICTED FOOD AND DRINK, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXHAUSTION, AND FREQUENT VERBAL ATTACKS ON THE EGO. THEN THEY ARE SHOWN HOW TO MAKE DISCOMFORTS DISSOLVE THROUGH VARIOUS COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING EXERCISES, AND THEY ARE TAUGHT THAT CONSCIOUSNESS CAN ALTER BODILY STATES. SINCE EST CLAIMS TO TRANSFORM LIVES, THE EVALUATION OF EFFECTS WAS DIFFICULT. PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES WERE MEASURED BY THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL, AND THE SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE, ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. PHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES WERE MEASURED BY HAND TEMPERATURE, GALVANIC SKIN RESISTANCE, BASAL SKIN RESISTANCE, AND RESPIRATIONS PER MINUTE. BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS WERE JUDGED FROM INSTITUTIONAL STAFF REPORTS. NO PRETRAINING PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN CONTROL AND PARTICIPANT GROUPS, AND THE POSTTESTS DID NOT SHOW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES, EXCEPT THAT PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CHANGES THEMSELVES. FURTHERMORE, NO PHYSIOLOGICAL OR BEHAVIORAL CHANGES WERE DISCOVERED AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS. A FOLLOWUP WILL BE CONDUCTED ON THE RECIDIVISM RATES OF INMATES WHO HAVE COMPLETED EST TRAINING IN COMPARISON TO THOSE WHO DESIRED TRAINING BUT DID NOT RECEIVE IT AND TO INMATE RECIDIVISM RATES IN GENERAL. OTHER STUDIES ARE REFERENCED, AND FOOTNOTES, CHARTS, TABLES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND APPENDIXES WITH RATING FORMS AND QUESTIONNAIRES ARE INCLUDED.