STUDY OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE ATTRACTION TO THE PROBATION OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP AND VARIOUS PSYCHO-SOCIAL ATTITUDES OF JUVENILE PROBATIONERS

• NCJ Number: 49211
• Author(s): R R DEMING
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 147 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THE NATURE OF PROBATIONERS' ATTRACTION TO THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP AND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PROBATIONER ATTITUDES TOWARD SELF AND OTHERS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS IS VIEWED.

Abstract

THIS STUDY IS BASED ON THE HYPOTHESIS THAT STUDIES WHICH POINT UP THE CENTRALITY OF THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IN THE SOCIALIZATION OF JUVENILE PROBATIONERS ARE VALID. FACTORS AFFECTING SUCH A RELATIONSHIP THUS BECOME IMPORTANT AND CENTRAL TO THE RESEARCH. A 30-ITEM SCALE WAS CONSTRUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EXISTENCE AND DEGREE OF PROBATIONER ATTRACTION TO THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. THE CALIFORNIA TEST OF PERSONALITY WAS USED TO MEASURE PROBATIONERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD SELF AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. THE DATA GATHERED FROM THESE SEPARATE INSTRUMENTS WERE CORRELATED TO DETERMINE WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF PROBATIONERS LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROBATION OFFICERS. FIVE PROBATION OFFICERS OF THE POLK COUNTY, IOWA JUVENILE COURT VOLUNTEERED FOR THE PROJECT. TWENTY CLIENTS FROM EACH OFFICER'S CASELOAD WERE SELECTED AT RANDOM. THE SUBJECTS WERE ADMINISTERED THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP ATTRACTION SCALE AND THE CALIFORNIA TEST OF PERSONALITY. A STANDARD COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA FOR EACH GROUP OF CLIENTS AND FOR THE TOTAL SAMPLE OF 100 CLIENTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE ABILITY OF THE FIVE PROBATION OFFICERS TO ELICIT ATTRACTION TO THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP, THERE IS VARIANCE AMONG THE OFFICERS IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF CLIENTS THEY ATTRACT; THUS, INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES OF OFFICERS AND CLIENTS ARE FACTORS IN DETERMINING RELATIONSHIP ATTRACTIVENESS. IT IS NOTED THAT THIS IS A CROSS SECTIONAL EXPLORATORY STUDY, AND IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER DETAILED INFORMATION ON OFFICER AND CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR AFFECT ON THE OFFICER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE OBTAINED IN A LONGITUDINAL STUDY. TABLES OF DATA AND SAMPLES OF THE INSTRUMENTS USED ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIXES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS ALSO PROVIDED. (RCB)