EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM GROUP COUNSELING ON ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY OF NEWLY INCARCERATED PRISON INMATES

• NCJ Number: 7256
• Author(s): J L ARNETTE
• Date Published: 1966
• Length: 55 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATION

Annotation

STUDY OF 58 INMATES FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SHORT-TERM COUNSELING REDUCED HOSTILITY AND ANXIETY.

Abstract

IT WAS INFERRED THAT THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY IN THESE NEWLY INCARCERATED INMATES WOULD RESULT IN GREATER ACCEPTANCE OF CLASSIFICATION AND BETTER ADJUSTMENT TO PRISON. THIS CONCLUSION IS ALSO INDICATED IN THE REVIEW OF LITERATURE IN THIS FIELD. ALTHOUGH THIS MAIN HYPOTHESIS WAS NOT SUPPORTED IN THE EXPERIMENT, THE AUTHOR SEES A NUMBER OF LIMITATIONS IN THE STUDY. SINCE THE ANXIETY LEVEL OF THE SUBJECTS WAS INITIALLY INCREASED DUE TO THEIR IMPRISONMENT, THE PROGRAM MIGHT HAVE YIELDED MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IF IT HAD BEEN EXTENDED. THE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL TO A DEGREE. THE GROUP WHICH RECEIVED NINE COUNSELING SESSIONS EXPERIENCED A GREATER REDUCTION OF ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY THAN DID THE GROUP WHICH ONLY RECEIVED THREE SESSIONS. THE STUDY MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE PROFITABLE IF ONLY VOLUNTEER INMATES HAD PARTICIPATED. THERE WAS SOME INDICATION THAT THE STATISTICAL METHODS USED WERE NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO DIFFERENTIATE THE DEGREE OF CHANGE OF ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)