Irrational Beliefs with Prisoners of Central Reformatory in Ibb City

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the level of irrational beliefs with prisoners of Central Reformatory in Ibb City, Yemen; and if there were differences between them attributed to the variables of crime and age. To achieve the objectives of the study, a descriptive survey methodology was used. The society of the study was composed of 1643 prisoners from which a sample of 233 participants was selected. Then, a scale of irrational beliefs, designed by Hegazi (2013), was used. To analyse data, a number of appropriate statistical techniques were used. Accordingly, the study revealed a number of findings; the most important ones were as follows. The overall level of irrational beliefs was higher, showing seven dimensions obtaining a higher degree in each area, namely  feeling upset for others' inconveniences, over blaming of oneself and others, seeking self-perfection, avoiding problems, seeking for applause, seeking for complete solutions, and carelessness. However, three dimensions (i.e., expecting misfortunes and catastrophes, reliability, feeling of helplessness) obtained the degree of average while the dimension of ''anxiety caused by extra attention'' obtained a lower degree. There were no statistically significant differences between the levels of irrational beliefs and dimensions attributed to the variable of crime (killing, theft, morals) except the two dimensions of ''anxiety caused by extra attention'' and ''reliability'' as shown by the differences between the mean scores of the two groups of killing and theft crimes in favor of the latter and between the mean scores of the two groups of killing and morals crimes in favor of the latter. A number of recommendations and suggestions were introduced.