The study of personality traits of convicts serving sentences for mercenary and violent crimes

The article presents the theoretical and empirical results of a study of convicts for various types of crimes serving sentences in correctional institutions in order to identify and formulate the most effective working methods that will allow practicing psychologists to determine the actual mechanisms of influence on convicts of these categories. As part of an empirical study, a hypothesis was put forward on the presence of a threefactor structure of psychological defense for convicts serving sentences for violent crimes, which is confirmed by the results of the study cited in the article. Questions are raised about possible psychocorrectional measures aimed at determining the level and stabilization of the personal aggressiveness and conflict of convicts. Typologies obtained as a result of a special multidimensional statistical analysis make it possible to systematize the peripheral properties of manifestations of personal aggressiveness and conflict and to fully realize an individual approach in the process of personal psychocorrectional interaction with a specific convict or work in a specially formed small psychotherapeutic (psychocorrectional) or training group. Using the typologies presented in the article will make it possible to gradually create a program of psychocorrectional measures for convicts, aimed at using the principle of the transition from general universal techniques to private authors’ methods, which will allow a practical psychologist to individually and effectively work with a convict at each stage of his psychocorrection. Comparative data on various areas of the study of the personality of convicts are given, the level of psychological defenses of convicts in the categories under consideration is determined.

Keywords: psychodynamics; convicted persons; violence; personality aggressiveness; conflict psychocorrection