Institutional Aggression in the Context of Prisons (AQA A Level Psychology): Flashcards
Exam code: 7182
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What does a dispositional explanation of aggression assume?
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Cards in this collection (19)
What does a dispositional explanation of aggression assume?
People are individuals with specific personality traits, attitudes, beliefs and personal history that they bring to any situation rather than compartmentalising their behaviour.
Define the importation model.
The importation model (Irwin & Cressey, 1962) argues that inmates bring with them a criminal subculture of beliefs, values, norms and learning experiences, so prisons are not insulated from outside life.
What is the 'convict subculture'?
Existing inmates use aggression to establish power, status, influence and access to resources. New inmates import a willingness to use violence to negotiate it.
True or False?
The importation model sees aggression as the product of the prison environment.
False.
It sees aggression as the product of individual characteristics, so predisposed inmates would be violent in any setting.
Define the deprivation model.
The deprivation model (Clemmer, 1958) is a situational explanation placing the causes of institutional aggression within the prison environment itself.
Which deprivations contribute to aggression in prison?
Deprivation of freedom, independence, goods and services, safety and heterosexual intimacy.
Why is deprivation of material goods especially important?
It increases competition among inmates to acquire them, with a corresponding increase in aggression.
How does an unpredictable prison regime cause aggression?
Regular 'lock ups' create frustration, reduce stimulation and cut access to goods such as television, a 'recipe for violence'.
Situational explanations of prison aggression have some relevance to the hypothesis.
Situational explanations of prison aggression have some relevance to the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
A key situational factor in prison aggression is , which may link to de-individuation.
A key situational factor in prison aggression is overcrowding, which may link to de-individuation.
What did DeLisi et al. (2011) find?
813 juvenile delinquents with negative dispositional features (childhood trauma, substance abuse, anger) committed more violence, suicidal activity and sexual misconduct.
What did Camp and Gaes (2005) find?
561 inmates placed in low or higher security prisons showed similar aggressive misconduct (33% vs 36%), so prison features matter less than inmate characteristics.
What did Cunningham et al. (2010) find?
35 Texas inmate homicides were motivated by deprivations such as arguments over drugs, relationships and personal possessions.
What did Steiner (2009) find?
In 512 US prisons, inmate violence was more common with more female staff, overcrowding and inmates in protective custody, prison-level factors supporting the deprivation model.
Why does Camp and Gaes provide strong evidence for the importation model?
It was a field experiment with random allocation to prisons, allowing more valid conclusions than correlational studies.
What practical applications do both models have?
Interventions such as social skills training, anger management and more space per prisoner.
How does DiIulio (1991) criticise the importation model?
It ignores the role of prison officials. His administrative control model says poorly managed prisons see more serious violence such as homicides and rioting.
What did Hensley et al. (2002) find?
In Mississippi prisons allowing conjugal visits, there was no link between visits and reduced aggression, challenging the deprivation model's prediction.
True or False?
Research on institutional aggression represents male and female prisoners equally.
False.
It focuses on male prisoners, risking beta bias and overlooking the relational aggression women may show.
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