Friendship: CSPs Men (Treatment)

Question 1

Aim?

Answer 1

To evaluate the success of cognitive skills programmes for prisoners

Question 2

Method?

Answer 2

Quasi experiment

Question 3

Sample?

Answer 3

• 670 adult male offenders serving a sentence of 2+ years who voluntarily participated in CSP (1992-1996)
• control group who didn’t

Question 4

Procedure?

Answer 4

• received either 20 sessions (40 hours) or 36 sessions (72 hours)
• aimed to gain: self control, interpersonal problem solving skills, social perspective, understand rules on behaviour

Question 5

Results?

Answer 5

After 2 years, exp group had 14% less reconviction rates than control

Question 6

Conclusion?

Answer 6

CSP’s are successful in reducing reconviction rates, now used in many prisons as believed to be cost-effective in the long-term

Question 7

Strengths?

Answer 7

• useful= successfully reduced re-offending
• large sample size= high external reliability
• high eco validity

Question 8

Weaknesses?

Answer 8

• quasi= less control so low internal validity
• volunteer= low population validity as those who volunteer may be less likely to reoffend
• no matching of offences= some offenders more likely to reconvict?
• secondary data

Question 9

Cognitive skills programmes?

Answer 9

•Based on the assumption that before a criminal acts, they must have criminal thoughts
•Aims to correct faulty criminal thinking patterns e.g:
-better self control
-control of impulsivity
-improve of moral reasoning