The Importance of Responsivity Factors in Predicting Reductions in Antisocial Attitudes and Cognitive Distortions Among Adult Male Offenders

Abstract

The research has demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral treatment programs for offenders work to reduce recidivism. One reason these programs have been found to be effective is that they target one of the “number one” predictors of crime, antisocial attitudes and values. Unfortunately, these programs may not “work” for all offenders. The literature suggests that personal characteristics of offenders, although not directly related to recidivism, may in fact interfere or hinder the ability for the program to “work.” This is referred to in the literature as the “responsivity principle.” This study seeks to understand the role that personal or responsivity characteristics of offenders play in whether these attitudes and distortions were reduced. This study found that although individual responsivity characteristics alone were not related to whether the program was successful, individuals with a combination of the important responsivity characteristics (e.g., low intelligence, low self-esteem, and history of sexual abuse) were less likely to benefit from the program. In fact, their cognitive distortions were often made worse. Thus, it may be that responsivity should be seen as having a cumulative effect. The more “issues” an offender has, the less likely the treatment will accomplish what it is “supposed to do”—which in this case was to reduce antisocial or cognitive distortions.

Arrested Motherhood: Parenting, Cognitive Distortions, and Depressive Symptoms in Mothers Being Released from Incarceration

“…In line with research in delinquent adolescents and males (e.g., Barriga et al, 2000;Hubbard & Pealer, 2009), mothers being released from incarceration showed increased levels of self-serving cognitive distortions. This finding is relevant because cognitive distortions are not only believed to disinhibit mothers' own antisocial behavior (Barriga et al, 2000), but may also play a role in the intergenerational transmission of delinquency.…”

“…For mothers being released from incarceration, self-serving cognitive distortions may be particularly important, as these specific social cognitions are believed to help protect the self from blame and to disinhibit antisocial behavior (Barriga, Landau, Stinson, Liau, & Gibbs, 2000). Indeed, research indicates the prominence of self-serving cognitive distortions in delinquent adolescents and males (e.g., Barriga et al, 2000;Hubbard & Pealer, 2009). Surprisingly, however, no research has studied cognitive distortions in delinquent female adults, let alone in delinquent mothers, or related these distortions to their parenting.…”

Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions and Antisocial Behavior Among Adults and Adolescents

“…Participants respond on a six-point Likert scale (from ''agree strongly'' to ''disagree strongly''), with Barriga & Gibbs, 1996;Barriga, Hawkins & Camelia, 2008;Nas, Brugman & Koops, 2008) for adolescent samples within various contexts. The research on the HIT for adult groups is, to our knowledge, so far limited to a few studies within correctional facilities (Hubbard & Pealer, 2009;Liau et al, 2004) and none has examined the reliability and validity of the HIT for adult groups. Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon and First, 1991) is a self-report questionnaire designed to cover the underlying criteria for the DSM-III-R personality disorders and to provide screening of individuals who require particularly detailed diagnostic assessments (Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon & First, 1989).…”

The impact of pre-treatment responsivity and treatment participation on violent recidivism in a violent offender sample

“…Generally speaking, the more responsivity factors an offender possessed, the more likely he was to reoffend following release from prison. Hubbard and Pealer (2009) found that when responsivity characteristics (e.g. low intelligence, low self-esteem, personality traits, depressed mood, and a history of abuse) were considered separately in a sample of 257 adult male offenders they were unrelated to treatment outcomes; however, the combination of these factors was associated with decreased response to treatment.…”