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Neuropsychological correlates of assaultive behavior among incarcerated males
Abstract
It was predicted that individuals with a history of assaults would exhibit neuropsychological deficits in nonverbal problem solving, focused auditory attention and complex verbal analysis in contrast to property offenders. Assuming that assaultives would not demonstrate diffuse neuropsychological impairment, it was also predicted that assaultives would not significantly differ on tasks of visual-spatial analysis or expressive speech from property offenders. Subjects were administered a full neuropsychological battery measuring nonverbal problem solving, focused auditory attention, complex verbal abilities, visual-spatial analysis and expressive speech. Assaultives scored significantly higher on focused auditory attention and expressive speech tasks compared to property offenders. A subgroup of all assaultives, sexual assaulters also scored significantly higher on focused auditory attention and expressive speech tasks compared to property offenders. Post hoc analysis assessed the clinical significance of findings. This analysis revealed that both property and assaultive offenders demonstrated specific neuropsychological deficits. Clinical significance was assessed by the percentage of assaultive and property subjects scoring above a designated critical value, for each test, which has been found to be indicative of neuropsychological impairment. Both assaultive and property offenders demonstrated deficits of nonverbal problem solving and focused auditory attention. Moreover, assaultives demonstrated clincally significant impairment on complex verbal items which are processed auditorily, compared to property offenders. Although statistically significant when compared to property offenders, assaultive's performance on the expressive speech task was not found to be clinically significant. In addition, assaultive's performance on visual-spatial tasks was neither statistically significant or found to be clinically significant. In addition, assaultive's performance on visual-spatial tasks was neither statistically significant or found to be clinically significant. Hence, the original predictions of specific neuropsychological deficits (nonverbal problem solving, focused auditory attention, complex verbal abilities) and competencies (visual-spatial analysis and expressive speech) was generally supported for the group of assaultive subjects. Since both assaultive and property offenders demonstrated neuropsychological deficits, it is suggested future research examine the broader independent variable of "impulse control disorder" as associated to neuropsychological dysfunction. Lastly, future research needs to continue defining the breadth of "attentional" deficits as related to assaultiveness or sociopathy in general. Attention was only measured through an auditory mode in this study, and is therefore limited in scope. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Subject Area
Psychobiology|Physiological psychology|Psychological tests
Recommended Citation
Ullman, Daniel Lee, "Neuropsychological correlates of assaultive behavior among incarcerated males" (1988). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8824955.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8824955