NCJ Number
52469
Journal
JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AD CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 44 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1976) Pages: 745-759
Date Published
1976
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE TIME ORIENTATIONS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENTS, SOLDIERS, DELINQUENTS ON PROBATION, AND VOCATIONAL STUDENTS IN ISRAEL ARE COMPARED.
Abstract
THE 183 STUDY SUBJECTS WERE ORIENTAL JEWISH MALES OF LOW SOCIOECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND RANGING IN AGE FROM 17.5 TO 21 YEARS. THE SUBJECTS COMPLETED TESTS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THEIR ORIENTATIONS TOWARD AND FEELINGS ABOUT THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. ALTHOUGH ALL SUBJECTS WERE BASICALLY FUTURE ORIENTED, THE INSTITUTIONALIZED SUBJECTS (INMATES AND SOLDIERS) WERE MORE PRESENT ORIENTED THAN WERE THEIR NONINSTITUTIONAIZED COUNTERPARTS. PRESENT ORIENTATION WAS PARTICULARLY STRONG AMONG INMATES. INMATES WHO WERE ABOUT TO BE RELEASED EXPRESSED GREATER INTEREST IN THE FUTURE (AS OPPOSED TO THE PRESENT) THAN DID OTHER INMATES. BOTH INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NONINSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENTS, INMATES, AND PROBATIONERS PERCEIVED THE PAST MORE NEGATIVELY AND THE FUTURE MORE POSITIVELY THAN DID NONDELINQUENTS (SOLDIERS AND STUDENTS). INSTITUTIONALIZED SUBJECTS, ESPECIALLY INMATES, PERCEIVED THE PRESENT MORE NEGATIVELY THAN DID NONINSTITUTIONALIZED SUBJECTS. THE AFFECTIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE WERE MORE BALANCED AND REALISTIC AMONG NONDELINQUENTS THAN AMONG DELINQUENTS. ONE IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS IS THAT COUNSELORS SHOULD TRY TO HELP DELINQUENTS DEVELOP A MORE REALISTIC OUTLOOK ON THE FUTURE. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)