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SELF-CONCEPT AND DELINQUENCY PRONENESS

NCJ Number
44564
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 12 Issue: 48 Dated: (WINTER 1977) Pages: 559-569
Author(s)
F R JONES; M T SWAIN
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
DIFFERENCES IN SELF-CONCEPT AND RESPONSE TO BEHAVIOR MANIPULATION AMONG DELINQUENT-PRONE AND NON-DELINQUENT-PRONE MALE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AN INNER-CITY SETTING ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
FROM A SAMPLE OF 225 BOYS AGED 12 TO 14, TWO STUDY GROUPS WERE SELECTED: 45 CHARACTERIZED AS DELINQUENT-PRONE ON THE BASIS OF A TEST; AND 31 NON-DELINQUENT-PRONE 'BRIGHT' BOYS. THE TWO GROUPS WERE FURTHER DIVIDED FOR PARTICIPATION IN BEHAVIOR MANIPULATION EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING RESPONSES, UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS, TO A CRIPPLED ELDERLY WOMAN IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE AND TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO INFLICT HARM BY ADMINISTERING AN ELECTRIC SHOCK. AFTER THE EXPERIMENTS, THE SUBJECTS COMPLETED A SELF-CONCEPT TEST AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS CONCERNING THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SELF-CONCEPT BETWEEN THE DELINQUENT-PRONE AND NON-DELINQUENT-PRONE GROUPS, BUT THERE WERE DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSES TO THE MANIPULATION OF BEHAVIOR. THE FINDINGS ARE CONTRARY TO THE HOMEOSTATIC MODEL OF SELF-CONCEPT, I.E., THE EXPECTANCY THAT ENGAGING IN ANTISOCIAL OR PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR WILL RESULT IN SHIFTS IN SELF-CONCEPT. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.

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