Delinquency, institutionalization, and time orientation

Investigated the temporal orientation of delinquents and nondelinquents while adequately controlling institutionalization. Four groups of 17-25 yr old males (N=183) were selected: institutionalized delinquents (prison inmates), institutionalized nondelinquents (soldiers), noninstitutionalized delinquents (delinquents on probation), and noninstitutionalized nondelinquents (vocational students). Findings support most of the hypotheses: Although all Ss were basically future oriented, institutionalized Ss were more present oriented than their noninstitutionalized counterparts. As the prisoner approached release, there was a decrease in the salience of the present and an increase in the salience of the future in his life space. Delinquents (both in and out of prison) perceived the past as more negative and the future as more positive than did nondelinquents. Institutionalized Ss perceived the present as more negative than their noninstitutionalized counterparts. The affective attitudes of the nondelinquents toward the past, present, and future were much more balanced and realistic than that of the delinquents. (57 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).