NCJ Number
31921
Date Published
1975
Length
140 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A SHORT TERM LONGITUDINAL STUDY WHICH TESTED THE SELF CONCEPT AND USE OF NEUTRALIZATION OF A SAMPLE OF MISDEMEANANTS BEFORE AND AFTER ADJUDICATION TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ADJUDICATION ON SELF-CONCEPT.
Abstract
THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE SUGGESTS THAT INVOLVEMENT IN DEVIANT ACTIVITY CHANGES THE ACTOR'S SELF-CONCEPT, THEREBY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF CAREER DEVIANCE BECAUSE OF THE INCORPORATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS INTO THE ACTOR'S CONCEPTION OF SELF. IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS THESIS IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THE CHANGE IN SELF CONCEPT AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS MAY NOT EMERGE AS STRONGLY AS THE THEORY SUGGESTS. IT WAS PROPOSED THAT NEUTRALIZATION TECHNIQUES (THE NON ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIETY'S NEGATIVE REACTIONS BY THE ACTOR INTO HIS SELF-CONCEPT) MAY ACT AS A MEDIATING FACTOR BETWEEN SOCIETY'S REACTIONS AND THE INCORPORATION OF THESE REACTIONS INTO THE ACTOR'S SELF CONCEPT. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO SUBJECTS IMMEDIATELY UPON ARREST AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER CASE DISPOSITION. ALTHOUGH THE DATA INDICATED THAT SELF CONCEPT MEASURES CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY, IT DID NOT SUBSTANTIATE THE DEPENDENCE OF THESE CHANGES ON THE INITIAL LEVEL OF THE ACTOR'S NEUTRALIZATION OR INCREASES IN NEUTRALIZATION DURING THE STUDY. NO SUPPORT WAS FOUND FOR THE BASIC CONTENTION OF THE STUDY THAT NEUTRALIZATION TECHNIQUES WOULD BOTH SERVE TO PROTECT SELF-ESTEEM AND PREVENT THE EMERGENCE OF A CRIMINAL IDENTITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)