Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kaylee Cook

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Suzanne Lease

Committee Member

Ashley Batastini

Committee Member

Bert Burraston

Committee Member

Rosie Phillips Davis

Abstract

Obtaining employment is key to successful reintegration for people who have been incarcerated. However, employers are often hesitant to hire formerly incarcerated persons due to general negative attitudes toward them and concern that they will not exhibit positive work behaviors. Interventions to reduce general types of stigma exist, with primary strategies involving education and/or contact. Most research examining the effectiveness of stigma-reducing strategies largely focus on reducing identity-based stigma (e.g., race, mental illness), with limited research on reducing choice-based stigma, such as those with criminal histories. However, regardless of targeted stigma, there is no consensus regarding which intervention format (i.e., education, contact) is more effective. This study examined which type of intervention (education, contact, combination of both) was effective in improving potential employers’ perceptions of incarcerated individuals’ negative workplace and individual attitudes and increasing the likelihood of hiring individuals with a criminal record. Because of the limited research on interventions targeting choice-based stigma, it was hypothesized that participants receiving any intervention would have improved attitudes toward and likelihood of hiring an applicant with a criminal history when compared to a control condition, but no hypotheses were made regarding whether one intervention would be more effective than another. Participants read a case vignette about a hypothetical job applicant; they were then randomly assigned to one of four intervention conditions (control, education, contact, combination). After completing their assigned intervention, participants answered a series of questions about their attitudes toward the applicant’s expected work performance and general attitudes toward individuals with a criminal record. Additionally, because participants may have previous contact with individuals involved in the criminal-legal system, they will be asked about their previous experiences with this population. Contrary to hypotheses, results generally showed that none of the interventions were associated with improved work- or individual-related attitudes, with the contact intervention being associated with lower scores on anticipated initiative. Such results highlight the complex yet significant role that contact has on influencing employer perceptions, attitudes, and decisions regarding hiring those with a criminal history. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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