OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY AMONG MEN FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY

• NCJ Number: 57215
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 333-340
• Author(s): L S ARNOLD; V L QUINSEY; I VELNER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Toronto Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

COMPARISON OF SCORES ON EXAMS TO TEST OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY OBTAINED FROM 69 MEN HELD IN MAXIMUM SECURITY AFTER BEING FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY AND 60 MEN IN MINIMUM SECURITY WAS MADE ON TWO OCCASIONS.

Abstract

OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY (OH) SCORES OF THESE MEN, ALL COMMITTED TO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, WERE COMPARED INITALLY IN 1975. ALSO, CHANGES IN SCORES OVER TIME AMONG THE FORMER GROUP, AS WELL AS DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH AND LOW SCORERS, WERE OBTAINED. THE FORMER GROUP (TERMED WLG PATIENTS) WERE MORE OFTEN DIAGNOSED AS PSYCHOTIC, WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE MARRIED, WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED TO A NONSECURITY PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, AND WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE COMMITTED HOMICIDE AS A REASON FOR ADMISSION THAN THE REGIONAL PATIENTS. THE WLGS SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE OH SCALE, AND WHEN THEIR SECOND TEST SCORES WERE COMPARED TO THEIR FIRST TEST SCORES, RESULTS SHOWED AN INCREASE FROM 56.0 TO 59.7. AMONG THE WLGS, HIGH OH SCORERS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ADMISSIONS TO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. THIS FINDING AGREES WITH THE THEORY OF MEGARGEE THAT THE OVERCONTROLLED PERSON HAS MASSIVE INHIBITIONS AGAINST AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND WOULD THUS RESPOND VIOLENTLY LESS OFTEN, BUT MORE INTENSELY. HIGH OH SCORERS WERE MORE OFTEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A PSYCHOTIC ILLNESS AND WERE MORE FREQUENTLY 31 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER ON ADMISSION THAN LOW OH SCORERS. WLG PATIENTS, AS PREDICTED, HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SCORES ON MEGARGEE'S OF OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY THAN DID A GROUP OF REGIONAL HOSPITAL PATIENTS. THIS FINDING AGREES WITH MEGARGEE'S CONCEPTION OF THE OH CONSTRUCT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF WLG PATIENTS HAD COMMITTED SERIOUS CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, AND WERE VERY UNLIKELY TO PREVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. THE INCREASE IN OH SCORES OCCURRING IN THE SECOND TEST CAN BE INTERPRETED IN TWO WAYS: THE INCREASED SCORE IS A SIGN THAT THE PATIENT IS LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT ANOTHER VIOLENT OFFENSE, OR THE HIGHER OH SCORES REFLECT AN INCREASE IN HOSTILITY COUPLED WITH GREATER DEFENSES, AND THEREFORE, AN INCREASED POSSIBILITY THAT A PERSON COULD COMMIT A VERY VIOLENT CRIME AFTER RELEASE. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)