NCJ Number
64064
Journal
Canadian Criminology Forum Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1979) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS CANADIAN RESEARCH STUDY EXAMINES THE EFFECTS OF LABEL TYPES AND PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS ON DISPOSITIONAL DECISION MAKING WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL CONTEXT.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EXTEND THE RESEARCH FINDINGS PERTAINING TO THE INFLUENCE OF LABELING AND PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS ON SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY READ A FICTIONAL CASE SUMMARY INVOLVING AN ADOLESCENT FEMALE, WHICH DESCRIBED HER PROBLEMATIC AND PREDELINQUENT HISTORY AND THEN EVALUATED THE DESCRIBED TARGET PERSON ON 3 DEPENDENT MEASURES. SUBJECTS WERE ALSO EXPOSED TO VARIOUS MANIPULATIONS THROUGH THE ATTACHMENT OF LABELS IN THE FORM OF BRIEF PARAGRAPHS OF CURRENT OBSERVATIONS. THIS YIELDED A FACTORIAL DESIGN WITH 3 TYPES OF LABELS (POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, AND CONTROL) AND 3 LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS (ATTRACTIVE, UNATTRACTIVE, AND CONTROL). SUBJECTS WERE 103 MALE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES. ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS FAILED TO PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE FOR THE HYPOTHESES THAT TYPE OF LABEL OR LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS ARE INFLUENTIAL DETERMINANTS IN A SIMULATED CORRECTIONS DECISIONMAKING SITUATION. THE FINDING THAT LABELING WAS PERCEIVED TO BE A MORE IMPORTANT DETERMINANT THAN LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS SUGGESTS THAT LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS DOES NOT HOLD THE SAME POWER OF INFLUENCE FOR SUBJECTS AS HAS BEEN THE CASE IN PREVIOUS RESEARCH. HOWEVER, INTERVIEWS WITH SUBJECTS AFTER THE STUDY INDICATED THAT THEY TRIED TO BE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO BIAS CAUSED BY IRRELEVANT INFLUENCES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT POTENTIAL BIASING INFLUENCES BECOME SALIENT FOR JUDGES AND EFFORTS TOWARD AMELIORATING THESE AS INPUT VARIABLES ARE ENACTED. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON THIS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MJW)