SATISFACTION WITH THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION ENVIRONMENT - AN INSTANCE OF PERCEIVED SELF-ENVIRONMENT SIMILARITY

• NCJ Number: 64952
• Journal: JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1972) Pages: 75-87
• Author(s): E J TRICKETT; R H MOOS
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 16461; MH 16026; MH 8304
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Delta Defense, Inc.
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SATISFACTION WITH ONE'S ENVIRONMENT IS RELATED TO ONE'S PERCEPTION OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN SELF AND ENVIRONMENT IS TESTED IN TWO SAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENT MALES.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 75 MALE ADOLESCENT DELINQUENTS FROM 1 HOUSING UNIT AND 60 FROM ANOTHER UNIT IN THE SAME INSTITUTION SERVED AS SUBJECTS. FOLLOWING THE GENERAL LOGIC OF PERVIN'S WORK (1967) THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL TECHNIQUE WAS USED TO ASSESS THE RESIDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEMSELVES AND VARIOUS REFERENCE GROUPS IN THE INSTITUTION (STAFF AND PEERS). THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN RATINGS OF SELF AND THE RATINGS OF REFERENCE GROUPS WAS CORRELATED WITH REPORTED SATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF INSTITUTIONAL LIFE. SELF-ENVIRONMENT SIMILARITY WAS CORRELATED WITH SATISFACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ONLY WHEN THESE RELATIONSHIPS WERE SPECIFIC. FINDINGS SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SIMILARITY IN PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND ASPECTS OF ONE'S ENVIRONMENT TEND TO PRODUCE SATISFACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT. THE STRONGEST SUBSTANTIVE RELATIONSHIP WAS THAT OF SELF-STAFF SIMILARITY AND SATISFACTION WITH THE STAFF AND THE INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM. THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS WAS CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THOSE INVOLVING SELF AND PEERS AND SELF AND IDEAL SELF-COMPARISONS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MALE STAFF IN THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)