SOME COMMENTS ON THE NATURE OF DELINQUENT'S IDENTIFICATION WITH TELEVISION HEROES, FATHERS AND BEST FRIENDS (FROM CRIME AND JUSTICE, 1971-1972 - AN AMS ANTHOLOGY, 1974 BY JACKWELL SUSMAN - SEE NCJ-28615)

• NCJ Number: 28617
• Author(s): G NOBLE
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: AMS Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IN THIS STUDY, IDENTIFICATION IS DEFINED AS THE PERCEIVED SIMILARITY BETWEEN IMAGES OF SELF AND OTHERS, EXPERIENCED IN TERMS OF PERSONAL CONSTRUCTS.

Abstract

A CONTROL SAMPLE OF NON-DELINQUENTS WAS MATCHED IN TERMS OF AGE, SEX, AND INTELLIGENCE TO A SAMPLE OF 39 DELINQUENT BOYS, AGED TWELVE TO FIFTEEN. IDENTIFICATION WAS ASSESSED IN INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS BY MEANS OF THE REPERTORY GRID TEST. BOTH SELF AND IDEAL-SELF RATINGS WERE COMPARED WITH RATINGS OF OTHER FIGURES, WHICH INCLUDED FATHERS, BEST FRIENDS, AND MALE TELEVISION HEROES. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS THAT DELINQUENTS MORE OFTEN THAN CONTROLS WOULD OVERIDENTIFY WITH TELEVISION HEROES WAS UNSUBSTANTIATED, WHILE THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF SUITABLE MALE IDENTIFICATION FIGURES FOR DELINQUENT BOYS RECEIVED SUPPORT. DELINQUENT BOYS MORE OFTEN THAN CONTROLS BOTH PERCEIVED THEMSELVES LESS LIKE FATHERS AND BEST FRIENDS AND WANTED TO BE MORE LIKE TELEVISION HEROES THAN DID BOYS IN THE CONTROL SAMPLE. THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE PERCEIVED CORRELATION BETWEEN IDEAL AND REAL SELF WOULD BE LESS FOR DELINQUENTS THAN FOR CONTROLS WAS SUBSTANTIATED. IN ADDITION, DELINQUENTS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN THAN CONTROLS PERCEIVED TELEVISION HEROES AS 'REAL' AND LIFELIKE RATHER THAN AS ACTED AND NOT LIFELIKE. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.