IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CONTROLS ON BEHAVIOR CHANGES AMONG MISDEMEANANTS

• NCJ Number: 15310
• Author(s): R R MATSON
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 211 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

Annotation

DETERMINES THAT SOCIAL CONTROLS, ESPECIALLY COURT ACTION, ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PERSONAL CONTROLS IN CHANGING CRIMINALITY.

Abstract

TWO CONTROL GROUPS AND ONE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF APPROXIMATELY 100 EACH WERE DRAWN FROM THREE CONSECUTIVE TWO-MONTH TIME PERIODS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS COMPOSED OF 52 STAFF-ASSIGNED PROBATIONERS AND 48 VOLUNTEER-ASSIGNED PROBATIONERS. THE CONTROL GROUPS WERE NOT GIVEN PROBATION BUT HANDLED THROUGH JAIL OR FINES. GAIN SCORES FROM A VARIETY OF TESTS WERE ASSESSED TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF CHANGE IN EACH PERSON. THE DATA SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE GREATER THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL CONTROLS, THE GREATER THE DECREASE IN CRIMINALITY. THE PREDICTION THAT THOSE WITH STRONGEST PERSONAL CONTROLS WOULD SHOW THE GREATEST CHANGE IN CRIMINALITY WAS NOT SUPPORTED. SOCIAL CONTROLS WERE FOUND TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE. IT WAS INDICATED THAT VOLUNTEERS WERE NO MORE OR NO LESS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING CRIMINALITY AMONG YOUNG, ADULT, MALE MISDEMEANANTS THAN WERE STAFF COUNSELORS.