NCJ Number
72275
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1980) Pages: 303-314
Date Published
1980
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Cynicism of prison guards in investigated as the outcome of relations between guards and those who occupy similar, subordinate, and superordinate positions to determine how these interactions produce a cynical response.
Abstract
Data were derived from questionnaire responses of 144 guards working in a large State, maximum-security institution in the Midwest. In addition, formal interviews were conducted with a stratified sample of the institution's guards. Cynicism was measured by a modified form of Neiderhoffer's (1967) police cynicism scale, using a ten-item statement completion scale adapted for use by corrections personnel. Results of a three-way analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for relationships with fellow guards, inmates, and administrators. However, the particular effect that guards' work relations with one group had on cynicism was not contingent on the nature of their work relations with either of the other two groups. Partial intraclass correlations also showed that levels of cynicism were most strongly associated with unfavorable relations with supervisors, followed by unfavorable relations with fellow officers and inmates, respectively. In conclusion, prison guards' cynicism is viewed as a type of working ideology which at least insures their psychological and physical integrity in the face of what they feel is a lack of support from their superiors. Displays of the test instrument format and variables, as well as 11 references are provided.