STUDY OF THE ROLE OF AROUSAL AND CONFLICT IN THE DIFFERENTIATION OF SUB-TYPES OF DELINQUENTS

• NCJ Number: 18908
• Author(s): A L MATTOCKS
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 140 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Annotation

EXPLORES SOME OF THE BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHODYNAMIC DIFFERENCES AMONG SUB-CATEGORIES DESCRIBED BY THEORISTS AND FACTORIALLY DEFINED BY OTHERS.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR FORMS THREE HYPOTHESES. INCLUDED IS THAT PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENTS ARE DISTINGUISHABLE AS A GROUP FROM OTHER SUB-GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF THE TYPE OF CONFLICT MANIFESTED. A SECOND HYPOTHESIS IS THAT ACTING-OUT NEUROTIC DELINQUENTS WILL BE DISTINGUISHABLE FROM OTHER SUB-GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF EVIDENCE OF PRONOUNCED CONFLICTS IN THE AREAS OF AGGRESSION AND SEX. THE LAST HYPOTHESIS IS THAT SOCIOPATHIC OR SUB-CULTURAL DELINQUENTS WILL BE DISTINGUISHABLE ON THE BASIS OF A LACK OF ANY PRONOUNCED CONFLICT IN ANY PARTICULAR INTERPERSONAL AREA. THE METHODOLOGY INVOLVED OBTAINING REACTIONS OF SELECTED SUB-GROUPS OF DELINQUENT BOYS TO A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS. THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO DEPICT THREE CATEGORIES OF INTERPERSONAL SITUATIONS IN ADDITION TO A FOURTH CATEGORY OF 'NEUTRAL' OR NON-INTERPERSONAL SITUATIONS. THE RESULTS OBTAINED INDICATE THAT PSYCHOPATHIC DELINQUENT BOYS ARE LESS CONFLICTED IN REGARDS THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES THAN ARE ACTING-OUT NEUROTICS WHO EXPRESS CONSIDERABLE GUILT OVER THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR.