Harnessing self-control in inmates: Self-control strength theory and the reduction of deviance and recidivism

犯罪学研究发现，缺乏自控力或“意志力”是人们犯罪的原因之一。个人往往无法抗拒许多犯罪行为所带来的短期满足。许多犯罪学家认为，一个人的自我控制能力大部分是在童年早期习得的。一旦确立，许多犯罪学家认为一个人的自我控制能力在成年期基本上是不会改变的。然而，最近的社会心理学研究发现，一个人的自我控制能力是动态的和可变的。通常，自我控制的功能就像“肌肉”：它是一种有限的资源，可以通过大量使用暂时耗尽，但它会通过反复使用而得到加强。社会心理学家已经证明，个人的自我控制能力可以通过一个相对简单的训练来增强。受过这种训练的人能够更好地抵制攻击性和自私的冲动，并做出更多社会可接受的决定。这个项目将这些见解应用于美国的刑事司法系统。许多前监狱囚犯（40-50%）再次犯罪或违反假释，并被送回监狱。这导致美国拥有世界上最多的监狱人口，这给美国经济、联邦和州预算以及许多社会弱势群体带来了巨大的代价。如果一个简单而廉价的自我控制训练项目能够降低再犯率，可能会产生巨大的经济和社会效益。在这个实验研究中，即将出狱的囚犯（志愿者）被随机分配到一个自我控制训练条件或一个仍在监狱的控制条件（阶段一）。释放后不久，一半的前囚犯再次被随机分配到自我控制训练中，而另一半则被分配到控制条件中（第二阶段）。这导致了一个2（释放前/第一阶段：自我控制训练vs.控制）x 2（释放后/第二阶段：自我控制训练vs.控制）的析因设计。也就是说，一些志愿者将在监狱中接受自我控制训练，以及在释放后不久接受自我控制训练；一些志愿者将只在狱中接受培训；一些志愿者只有在获释后才会接受培训；还有一些志愿者根本没有接受任何培训。在每个阶段的开始和结束，评估各种自我控制措施，包括个人抵抗欺骗诱惑的能力（阶段一）和以敌对方式回应挑衅的诱惑（阶段二）。这个研究设计可以让我们深入了解需要多少自我控制训练，以及什么时候需要进行这种训练才能产生积极的效果。最重要的是，这项研究通过监测参与者释放后2年的行为来检验训练的长期影响。如果自我控制训练成功，再犯率就会降低，假释的成功率也会提高，可能还会使受训者在生活中取得更大的成功（如就业、教育）。

Research in criminology has identified a lack of self-control or "willpower" as one of the reasons as to why people commit crimes. Individuals are often unable to resist the short-term gratification that many criminal acts promise. Many criminologists assume that much of an individual's capacity to exercise self-control is learned early in childhood. Once established, many criminologists consider an individual's capacity for self-control largely unchangeable during adulthood. Recent research in social psychology, however, has found an individual's capacity for self-control to be much more dynamic and variable. Often, self-control functions like a "muscle": it is a limited resource that can be temporarily exhausted through heavy use, but it is strengthened through repeated use. Social psychologists have demonstrated that individuals' capacity for self-control can be enhanced through a relatively simple training. So-trained individuals are better able to resist aggressive and selfish impulses, and make more socially acceptable decisions. This project applies these insights to the U.S. criminal justice system. Many former prison inmates (40-50%) re-offend or violate their parole, and are returned to prison. This contributes to the U.S. having the largest prison population in the world, which comes at great cost to the U.S. economy as well as federal and state budgets, and many socially disadvantaged communities. If recidivism rates can be reduced with a self-control training program that is simple and cheap, there might be large economic and social benefits.In this experimental study, soon-to-be released prison inmates (volunteers) are randomly assigned to a self-control training condition or a control condition while still in prison (Phase I). Shortly after their release, half of the former inmates are again randomly assigned to a self-control training whereas the other half are assigned to a control condition (Phase II). This results in a 2 (Pre-release/Phase I: Self-control training vs. control) x 2 (Post-release/Phase II: Self-control training vs. control) factorial design. That is, some volunteers will receive self-control training while still in prison as well as shortly after their release; some volunteers will receive training while still in prison only; some volunteers will receive training only after their release; and some volunteers will receive no training at all. At the beginning and end of each phase, various measures of self-control are assessed including individuals' ability to resist the temptation to cheat (Phase I) and the temptation to respond in a hostile manner to provocation (Phase II). This research design allows insight into how much self-control training is needed and when this training needs to occur in order to yield positive effects. Most importantly, this study examines the long-term consequences of the training by monitoring participants'- behavior following the 2 years after their release. If the self-control training is successful, reduced rates of re-offending, greater success of parole and, possibly, greater life success (e.g., employment, education) on the part of trainees will ensue.