Leadership, power and interpersonal attraction in a youth correctional facility

Trask, William D. (1999) Leadership, power and interpersonal attraction in a youth correctional facility. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (11MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

This study used peer nomination and modified sociometric techniques to examine leadership, power and interpersonal attraction among residents at a youth correctional facility. The results show that the length of time that residents had spent at the facility was a significant predictor of their task-specific leadership, general leadership, friendship and influence status. Those with higher status in these areas tended to have spent more time within the facility than those with lower status. The first type of crime that residents had been convicted of also proved to be a significant predictor of both their task-specific leadership status and their friendship status. In both cases, higher status residents were less likely to have been convicted of a crime against another person than were those with lower status. Finally, residents' age and the total number of crimes that they had been previously convicted of were found to be significant predictors of their task-specific leadership status. Those with higher task-specific leadership status tended to be older and to have committed fewer previous offences than those with lower status. -- The characteristics of high status group members were examined and the results largely supported the relationship between time served and residents' leadership, power and friendship status. For the other background characteristics, there was mixed support for the multiple regression analyses. -- The relationships between the amount of time residents had served within the facility and their task-specific leadership, general leadership and power status were further supported by the explanations respondents offered for their choices of fellow residents. Residents' seniority or experience within the facility was frequently provided as an explanation for their status in these areas. The reasons offered also point to the role of other factors, such as residents' personality traits, in determining status in these areas. -- The results also showed that, with the exception of the correlation between scores on influence and scores on social supportiveness, each social status measure was significantly related to each of the other measures. This suggests that residents who have high status in one area also tend to have high status in other areas. In particular, general leadership status appears to be highly related to residents' influence over others within the facility.

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