Some Psychological Characteristics of Prostitutes

Abstract

Summary: Ninety-five prostitutes, differentiated into five intra-occupational categories based on their method of operation, and an equal number of nonprostitute demographically matched controls, were interviewed and administered the WAIS Vocabulary subtest, the MMPI, and the Rorschach. The data reveal that prostitutes on the upper end of the intra-occupational scale, such as call girls and those working in-house, are not significantly different from the nonprostitute controls. At the other end of the intra-occupational scale, street-walkers appear to be less mature and more dependent than their controls. Part-time prostitutes, such as housewives and drug dependent subjects, yield major indices of psychopathology.