Dissertation Information for Lesta N. Burt NAME: - Lesta N. Burt
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- University of Wisconsin, Madison (USA) (1972)
ADVISORS: - Margaret Monroe
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Muriel Laura Fuller - Michael Hakeem - Carl Fellner - Charles A. Bunge
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: BIBLIOTHERAPY: EFFECT OF GROUP-READING AND DISCUSSION ON ATTITUDES OF ADULT INMATES IN TWO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Abstract: For many years reading and discussion have been reported to have tharapautic value. Few studies of an experuaental nature bave been performed to determine wbether this is true. Since it is important to ide.ntify proce~ures which will contribute to tbe renabilitation of inmates and enhance their personal outlook on life, this study tested the group book discussion form of bibliotherapy as an effective method for improving the attitudes of adult inmates in correctional institutions.
Fifty-nine of the inmates who volunteered for the program were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups in two institutions, The Wsconsin Home for Women and The Wisconsin Correctional Institution for Men. There were two experimental and two control groups, consisting of 6 to 8 members at each institution, led by a total of eight librarians. Each team of two librarians led one control and one experimental Group. The experimental groups, whicb met for two hours weekly, read and discussed the same six books consecutively while the control groups met three times during the twelve-week period to take part in a reading interest survey. Analyis of Covariance was employed to analyze differences in attttudes between experimental and control groups on the posttests of 11 concepts and '"Total Concepts" of a Semantic Differential and the Socialization Scale of the Personal Value Abstract, with the pretests being the covariate. Examination of posttest scores, adjusted for pretest and eror, revealed the amoutn of difference between group treatment for pretest and error, revealed the amount of difference between group treatment or by inmate background characteristics. The F test showed statistically significant difference at the .01 level between tho experimental and control groups on attitude toward "Dope Addiction" and "Stealing," the only behavioral concepts measured. The experimental groups registered much less accepting attitude toward these two behavioral attitudes than did the control groups. On the other hand, no significant difference between these two groups as a whole was found on attitudes toward concepts relating to persons. There was statistically signiticsut interaction at the .05 lavel between Race, Number of Months Served or Number of Months to be Served and Group Treatment on ten analyses. In 8 of the 10 the posttest scores of those in the experimental group who bad over 16 months to serve, had served over 37 months, or Black inmates were bigher than their group members and were equal to or higher than all those in the control groups. The Black inmates and those who had served 37 months or more in the experi~ ntal groups made mucn higher posttest scores than did any other group, experimental or control, on "Total Concepts", a combination of the mean scores on all eleven concepts, and also on the Socialization Scale of the PVA. No significant difference was found between groups led by different leader teams except on one concept.
These findings led to several conclusions concerning group book discussion as bibliotherapy for those in correctional institutions who desire to participate and who have the ability to read and comprehend:
1. Bibliotherapy may be a helpful adjuvant to the correctional program for improving attitudes related to behavioral concepts for all categories of inmates. 2. Bibliotherapy may be a helpful adjuvant to the correctional program in improving attitudes toward persons for inmates possessing certaln background characteristics. 3. Bibliotherapy may be effective1y carried out by librarians when working with small inmate groups who meet the criteria for group book discussion leaders described in this study.
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MPACT Scores for Lesta N. Burt A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:27:00
Advisors and Advisees Graph
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