Predicting Recidivism with the PICTS Fear-of-Change Scale in a Sample of Medium-Security Inmates Following Their Release from Federal Prison

Abstract

The predictive validity of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) Fear-of-Change (FOC) scale was evaluated in 1,101 male prison inmates following their released from custody. The predictive validity of the FOC was tested using a Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Results revealed a small but significant predictive effect, implying that fear of change may serve as a barrier to change in correctional populations. The theoretical and practical implications of these results include shifting attention away from an exclusive focus on risk factors in favor of barriers and obstructions to change, while targeting fear of change for intervention.

Keywords

Fear-of-Change scale recidivism federal prison inmates

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