NCJ Number
67362
Date Published
1970
Length
60 pages
Annotation
THE PERCEPTION OF INTERVIEWER TRUSTWORTHINESS BY INMATES IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION WAS INVESTIGATED.
Abstract
EIGHTEEN BLACK AND 18 WHITE INMATES, WHO HAD ENTERED THE OHIO PENITENTIARY WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDIES, WERE ASKED TO VIEW VIDEOTAPES OF INTERVIEW SITUATIONS AND TO RATE THE INTERVIEWER IN EACH TAPE ON THE DIMENSION OF TRUSTWORTHINESS. THE GOALS WERE TO DETERMINE (1) IF BLACK AND WHITE INMATES DIFFER IN THEIR RATING OF INTERVIEWER TRUSTWORTHINESS; (2) IF INMATES GIVEN A DEFINITION PRIOR TO VIEWING THE VIDEOTAPES WOULD RATE THE INTERVIEWERS ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE NOT RECEIVING A DEFINITION; (3) IF ONE ASPECT OF THE INTERVIEWER'S BEHAVIOR--THE CONTENT OF HIS SPEECH OR HIS MANNER OF SPEECH--IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE PERCEPTION OF INTERVIEWER TRUSTWORTHINESS THAN ANOTHER; AND (4) IF THE VIDEOTAPES ELICIT THE RATINGS THEY WERE DESIGNED TO ELICIT. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE DEFINITION PRESENTED TO SOME OF THE INMATES CONTAINED MANY OF THE SAME CONCEPTS USED IN THE RATING OF INTERVIEWER TRUSTWORTHINESS BY INMATES NOT GIVEN THE DEFINITION. BLACK INMATES DID NOT DIFFER FROM WHITE INMATES IN THEIR RATING OF VIDEOTAPES, AND THE TAPES ELICITED THE RATINGS EXPECTED. FINALLY, THE MANNER IN WHICH AN INTERVIEWER SAYS SOMETHING SEEMS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIS BEING PERCEIVED AS TRUSTWORTHY BY INMATES THAN WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAYS. POSITIVE TRAITS INCLUDE A BODY POSITION OR MOVEMENT TOWARD THE INTERVIEWEE RATHER THAN AWAY FROM HIM AND AN UPRIGHT, RELAXED POSTURE. AN AFFIRMATIVE HEAD NOD, HAND MOVEMENTS FOR EMPHASIS, AN INTERESTED TONE OF VOICE, AND AN INTERESTED AND DIRECT LOOK AT THE INTERVIEWEE ARE FURTHER BEHAVIORISMS WHICH INCREASE THE INTERVIEWER'S PERCEIVED CREDIBILITY. TABLES, APPENDIXES INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN INMATES AND RATING SCALES, AND ABOUT 90 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.