Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech Digital Commons Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School Fall 2007 Evaluation of a psychoeducational program designed to affect attitudes associated with intimate partner violence in an inmate population Melani Magee Wheeler Louisiana Tech University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/dissertations Part of the Criminology Commons, and the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Wheeler, Melani Magee, "" (2007).edu/dissertations/497 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Louisiana Tech Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Louisiana Tech Digital Commons. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@latech. EVALUATION OF A PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO AFFECT ATTITUDES ASSOCIATED WITH INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN AN INMATE POPULATION by Melani Magee Wheeler, B.
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment O f the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy COLLEGE OF EDUCATION LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY November 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI N um ber: 3283296 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
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LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL O c to ber J1 , 2007------------ Date We hereby recommend that the dissertation prepared under our supervision by Melani Magee Wheplpr ___ ______________________________________ entitled Evaluation of a psy ch o e d u c at io n a l p ro gr am d e s i g n e d to a f f e c t a t t i t u d e s a ss oc ia te d with intimate p a r t n e r violence in an inmate population_____________________________________________________________ be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy rtation Research Sd of Department De pt, o f Psych olog y & Behavioral Sc ie nc e s Department Recommendation concurred in: Advisory Committee Approved: Q. a irector o f Graduate Studies Dean o f me G raduate School r (A P^Aj / rkX’ D am o f the College GS Form 13a (6/07) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT The purpose o f this study was to evaluate the effectiveness o f a group intervention designed to impact male attitudes associated with the perpetration of intimate partner violence in a correctional setting.
Specifically, the group intervention addressed gender role stereotypes and conflict, healthy and unhealthy entitlement attitudes, attitudes toward women, and effective communication and anger management. The group intervention also sought to increase positive attitudes toward seeking psychological assistance among participants. Results o f the MANCOVA did not support the efficacy of the psychoeducational program in impacting attitudes among inmates. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPROVAL FOR SCHOLARLY DISSEMINATION The author grants to the Prescott Memorial Library of Louisiana Tech University the right to reproduce, by appropriate methods, upon request, any or all portions o f this Dissertation. It is understood that “proper request” consists o f the agreement, on the part of the requesting party, that said reproduction is for his personal use and that subsequent reproduction will not occur without written approval o f the author of this Dissertation. Further, any portions o f the Dissertation used in books, papers, and other works must be appropriately referenced to this Dissertation.
Finally, the author o f this Dissertation reserves the right to publish freely, in the literature, at any time, any or all portions of this Dissertation. Author f\Q ^ Q =y^LCjuxJitjJ Date (O/z^fcn GS Form 14 (5/03) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.
iii LIST OF TABLES. xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.1 Statement of the Problem.10 Review of the Literature.13 Intimate Partner Violence.13 History and Definition of Intimate Partner Violence.13 Research on Intimate Partner Violence.16 Gender Role Conflict. 23 History of Gender Role Conflict. 23 Definition of Gender Role Conflict.
24 Research on Gender Role Conflict. 39 History and Definition of Entitlement. 39 Research on Entitlement. 41 Attitudes Toward Women.
47 History and Definition o f Attitudes Toward Women. 47 Research on Attitudes Toward Women. 49 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Attitudes and Efforts at Attitudinal and Behavioral Change. 55 Definition of Attitude. 55 Processes of Attitudinal and Behavioral Change. 57 The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Attitude Change.
57 Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors. 59 Stages of Group Development. 63 Stages of Change. 70 Justification for Hypothesis One.
71 Justification for Hypothesis Two. 72 Justification for Hypothesis Three.72 Justification for Hypothesis Four.73 Justification for Hypothesis Five.74 Justification for Hypothesis Six. 76 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.76 Gender Role Conflict Scale.
76 Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale.78 The Entitlement Attitudes Scale.78 Attitudes Toward Women Scale.80 Anger Management Scale.82 Experimental Group Treatment (Relationship Conflict Education).82 Control Group Treatment (Substance Abuse Education). 90 Descriptive Statistics and Intercorrelations. 90 Correlations among Variables. 92 Results by Hypotheses.
96 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 100 Correlations among Variables. 100 Interpretation of Hypotheses.
108 Hypotheses Three and Four. 114 Findings and Implications. 127 APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Approval.147 APPENDIX B: Human Subjects Consent Form.150 APPENDIX C: Demographic Questionnaire. 152 APPENDIX D: Gender Role Conflict Scale.
154 APPENDIX E: Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. 158 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ix APPENDIX F: Entitlement Attitudes Scale.161 APPENDIX G: Attitudes Toward Women Scale.163 APPENDIX H: Anger Management Scale.167 APPENDIX I: Experimental Group Treatment.171 APPENDIX J: Control Group Treatment.188 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Participant Demographic Means and Standard Deviations.91 Table 2: Means and Standard Deviations for the Control and Experimental Groups. 93 Table 3: Correlations between Measures. 94 x Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As those that have completed this process can attest, pursuance of a doctoral degree requires stamina and commitment. This dissertation, which represents the last nine months of my life, required a great deal of both. At times, however, when I questioned my commitment and wondered how much more I could endure, it was the support of others that got me back on track and propelled me to this end.
For this, I am grateful. I acknowledge and thank my mentor and friend, Dr. Jonathan Schwartz, without whom this dissertation would not have been possible. Thank you for being a good teacher and for listening unconditionally and validating my frustrations.
To my dissertation committee, your collective knowledge and guidance have made this process much easier than I initially thought it would be. To my chairman, Dr., thank you for your time and encouraging words. You have taught me that persistence, in the end, pays off. Barlow Soper, who knows the difference between right and wrong and still maintains the courage to express it, thank you for being you.
And to Dr. Jeffrey Walczyk, who possesses the uncanny ability to peacefully exist in a chaotic environment, thanks for actually reading and critiquing every word of this dissertation. Special thanks go also to my mother, Lynn Nobles, who instilled in me a value of higher education that probably saved me when I was on a path to self-destruction. Thank you for believing in me and allowing me to become the person I am.
To my best friend, Dr. Jennifer Hodges-Crowder, without whom this accomplishment would not have been xi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. You have taught me how to play the game yet remain true to myself.
Thank you for being there and congratulations on your achievement. I look forward to our future in Costa Rica. Finally, and most importantly, to my husband Lonnie, who had the courage to marry me in the midst of this deranged process. Your love, patience, and support have allowed me to get this far.
You have taught me not to take life so seriously and shown me how to play as hard as I work. Now my time is yours and nothing stands between us and the open road. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Over the last 15 years, research exploring the psychology of men has examined the ways in which masculine gender role socialization impacts the interpersonal functioning of men and contributes to the use o f violent or abusive behaviors within intimate relationships. Gender role socialization is defined as the “process whereby children and adults acquire and internalize the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with masculinity, femininity, or both” (O’Neil, 1981, p. Gender role conflict theory suggests that masculine gender role socialization causes men to rigidly adhere to specific attitudes and behaviors associated with masculinity and to reject feminine attitudes and behaviors (O’Neil & Harway, 1997). Rigid adherence to the traditional male role may lead to the experience o f masculine gender role conflict and may foster the development of sexist or negative attitudes toward women, along with a sense o f entitlement.
Additionally, rejection of attitudes and behaviors associated with femininity has been found to negatively impact male help-seeking behaviors including seeking or receiving psychological assistance. Because men are often socialized to restrict emotional expression and to deny personal weakness, they may be reluctant to seek assistance in resolving interpersonal conflict. As a result, men may utilize maladaptive behaviors, such as violence, in their interpersonal relations with others because they have been encouraged to employ behaviors that are detached and competitive in their interactions (Mahalik, 1999). 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 As counseling psychology historically has been dedicated to the prevention of intra- and interpersonal conflict, counselors are obligated to respond to such findings through the development and evaluation of interventions that prevent individuals from experiencing further distress (Gilbert, 1992; Hage, 2000). Studies o f men and masculinity consistently indicate that gender role conflict, sexist or traditional attitudes toward women, and a sense of entitlement develop as a result o f the masculine socialization process (Marin & Russo, 1999; O’Neil & Harway, 1997). Because each of these variables is associated with an increased propensity to initiate violence or abuse within intimate relationships, it is reasonable to conclude that preventive interventions aimed at increasing men’s awareness o f these variables may reduce future violence or abuse (Nadkami, Steil, & Malone, in press; O’Neil & Nadeau, 1999).
Gender role conflict is defined as “a psychological state in which gender roles have negative consequences or impact on the person or others” (O’Neil, 1981, p. It occurs when “rigid, sexist, or restrictive gender roles learned during socialization result in personal restriction, devaluation, or violation of others and self’ (O’Neil, 1990, p. Cohn and Zeichner (2006) assert that rigid enactment of masculine attributes, such as the need for power and control, activates an underlying need to appear dominant, concomitantly increasing a man’s inclination to engage in violent behavior.