NCJ Number
55372
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 31-49
Date Published
1979
Length
19 pages
Annotation
THE PERSONALITY PROFILES OF 60 INMATES AND 40 GUARDS AT A PRISON IN DURHAM, ENGLAND, ARE ANALYZED TO TEST A THEORY REGARDING OVERCONTROLLED AND UNDERCONTROLLED PERSONALITIES IN ASSAULTIVE PEOPLE.
Abstract
UNDERCONTROLLED PEOPLE FIND IT EASY TO RESPOND AGGRESSIVELY TO FRUSTRATION. OVERCONTROLLED INDIVIDUALS HAVE RIGID INHIBITIONS AGAINST EXPRESSING AGGRESSION AND REQUIRE A HIGH LEVEL OF INSTIGATION, PERHAPS ACCUMULATED OVER TIME, TO OVERCOME THEIR INHIBITIONS. MEGARGEE'S THEORY HOLDS THAT EXTREMELY ASSAULTIVE CRIMES ARE LIKELY TO BE COMMITTED BY BOTH OVERCONTROLLED AND UNDERCONTROLLED PEOPLE, WHEREAS MODERATELY ASSAULTIVE CRIMES ARE LIKELY TO BE COMMITTED BY PREDOMINANTLY UNDERCONTROLLED PEOPLE. TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE PERSONALITY DISTINCTIONS ARE UNIQUE TO ASSAULTIVE PEOPLE OR REPRESENTATIVE OF PRISONERS OR EVEN THE GENERAL POPULATION, MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) SCORES FOR PRISONERS AND GUARDS ARE EXAMINED IN A CLUSTER ANALYSIS ENCOMPASSING THE 13 STANDARD MMPI VALIDITY AND CLINICAL SCALES PLUS 6 ADDITIONAL SCALES -ANXIETY, REPRESSION, EXTROVERSION, DENIAL, GENERAL HOSTILITY, AND DIRECTION OF HOSTILITY. THE RESULTS ARE CONTRARY TO MEGARGEE'S THEORY IN THAT PRISONERS LABELLED OVERCONTROLLED DID NOT HAVE HISTORIES OF EXTREME VIOLENCE AND FEW LABELLED UNDERCONTROLLED HAD EVER COMMITTED MODERATELY ASSAULTIVE OFFENSES. MOST OF THE PRISONERS WERE NONVIOLENT. IN ADDITION, 72.5 PERCENT OF THE GUARDS WERE CATEGORIZED AS OVERCONTROLLED. IT APPEARS THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LABELLED IN THIS AND OTHER STUDIES AS OVERCONTROLLED ARE ACTUALLY NORMAL (CONTROLLED). THE EXPLANATION FOR VIOLENT ACTS BY SUCH PEOPLE MAY LIE IN THE ENVIRONMENT RATHER THAN THE PERSON. ONGOING RESEARCH INTO THE BEHAVIOR OF OVERCONTROLLED AND UNDERCONTROLLED OFFENDERS IN AND OUT OF PRISON IS NOTED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)