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Abstract

Changes in the self-concept associated with a period of incarceration were investigated. Female prisoners in the Iowa Women's Reformatory were administered the usual admissions test battery plus a 24-item Self-Concept Scale consisting of bipolar adjectives. When the same scale was readministered following a six-month period of incarceration, general improvement in the level of self-concept was evident. Moreover, some of the changes were related to personality characteristics, as measured by the MMPI, and educational level. The admission scores on seven of the MMPI clinical scales were significantly correlated negatively to the admissions self-concept scores; however, only three clinical scales were significantly related to self-concept scores obtained after a six-month period of incarceration.

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Self-Concept Changes Associated With Incarceration in Female Prisoners

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