DEVIANTS HAVE BAD ATTITUDES

• NCJ Number: 44802
• Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1977) Pages: 337-347
• Author(s): G M JANEKSELA
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Academic Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EMPIRICALLY BASED FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH TO VIEW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES IN GENERAL AND DEVIANCE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN PARTICULAR IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

ATTITUDES GENERALLY ARE NOT GOOD PREDICTORS OF BEHAVIOR. HOWEVER, PREDICTION IS ENHANCED BY SPECIFYING WHICH ATTITUDE FACTORS ARE RELATED TO SPECIFIC ACTS. KNOWLEDGE OF STRUCTURAL, SITUATIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN SOCIAL ROLES IS LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF VARIANCE IN BEHAVIOR. DURING THE LIFE-LONG PROCESS OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT, THE INDIVIDUAL IS SUBJECT TO THE SOCIALIZING INFLUENCES OF FAMILY AND OTHER REFERENCE GROUPS WHOSE VALUES AND NORMS FORM THE BASIS OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S ATTITUDES. IF THE INDIVIDUAL'S ATTITUDES ARE ROOTED IN THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THEN EVIDENCE OF EXPRESSED ATTITUDES IS TO BE FOUND IN THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S REFERENCE GROUPS. TO PREDICT BEHAVIOR FROM EXPRESSED ATTITUDES, IT IS NECESSARY TO BE AWARE OF THE NORMS AND VALUES OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S REFERENCE GROUPS. RESEARCH STUDIES IN WHICH REFERENCE GROUPS ARE CONSIDERED FIND THAT ATTITUDES ARE PREDICTIVE OF BEHAVIOR. FOR EXAMPLE, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE COMPLIANCE SYSTEM ARE PREDICTIVE OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL INTERACTS WITH COMPLIANCE AGENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THEREFORE RELATES TO THE AGENTS AS A REFERENCE GROUP. NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND OTHER COMPLIANCE AGENTS ARE LIKELY TO BE EXPRESSED, AND ATTITUDES THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE EXPRESSED ARE LIKELY TO BE CORRELATED WITH BEHAVIOR. ALIENATION FROM THE SOCIAL SYSTEM IS ANOTHER ATTITUDE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE EXPRESSED, AND THE BEHAVIOR THAT RESULTS IS LIKELY TO BE ANTISOCIAL IN NATURE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT DEVIANTS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN NONDEVIANTS TO HAVE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND TO BE ALIENATED FROM THE SOCIAL SYSTEM. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).