Suggests four types of cognitive distortions and how they work to disinhibit. Cognitions related to sociocultural factors. Cognitions used to overcome the fear of disclosure. Cognitions used to diminish responsibility. Cognitions related to permission seeking.
Research disputes assumptions about child molesters.
Hindman compared paroled male sexual offenders against children in two periods. In the second period, the patients were told that they would have to submit to a polygraph test and if their self-reports were contradicted they would be returned to jail. The implication is that some offenders may fabricate such an event as an excuse for their erotic attraction to children. Maletzky collected data on offenders who maintained denial at entry into treatment and those who continued to deny, as opposed to those who admitted during treatment that they were responsible. Group was more effective at producing this verbal change than was individual.