Dispositional Factors Research (OCR GCSE Psychology): Revision Note

Dispositional factors core study: NatCen (2011): the August riots in England

Background

• Rioting took place in London from 6 to 11 August 2011, beginning as a peaceful protest after the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham

• The protest turned violent as tensions rose between police and community members, leading to widespread rioting, looting, and property damage

Aim

• To investigate the causes and nature of youth involvement in the August 2011 riots, including:

  • what triggered the riots

  • who took part

  • why and how people became involved

Method

• Type of study:

  • Qualitative research using interviews and focus groups

• Sample:

  • 36 participants from Tottenham, including both adults and under-18s

  • Diverse in gender, ethnicity, and work/education status

  • The majority were still in education or training

• Procedure:

  • Data was collected five weeks after the riots

  • Individual and group interviews (2–4 people) were conducted to help participants feel comfortable

  • Full informed consent was obtained; participants were assured of confidentiality

  • Researchers explained that any future planned crimes had to be reported, but past offences were not

  • Interview questions explored personal experiences, motivations, and attitudes towards authority

Results

• Who was involved:

  • A wide range of people of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds

  • Participants fell into three categories:

    • Rioters: actively involved in violence and vandalism

    • Looters: involved breaking into shops and stealing

    • Watchers: present but not directly involved

    • Non-involved: those who chose not to participate

• Motivations for involvement:

  • Nudge factors (encouraged participation):

    • Anger towards the police and authority

    • Opportunity to gain goods ('free stuff')

    • Desire for excitement and belonging

    • Poor job prospects and lack of hope for the future ('nothing to lose')

  • Tug factors (discouraged participation):

    • Fear of being caught

    • Disapproval from family or community

    • No negative experience with the police

    • Having work or education commitments ('too much to lose')

• Influencing factors:

  • Family attitudes: relatives not disapproving made joining easier

  • Community: belonging to groups with pro-criminal or anti-authority views increased involvement

  • Poverty and materialism: strong desire for goods without legal means to buy them

  • Belonging: lack of connection to society contributed to anti-social crowd behaviour

Conclusions

• Anti-social behaviour during the riots was influenced by a mix of collective behaviour (group processes) and dispositional/individual factors

• Decisions were guided by what participants believed was right or wrong and their assessment of risks vs. benefits

• Many young people viewed their actions as normal under the circumstances, not extreme or criminal

• Those with negative experiences with authority (e.g. distrust of police) were more likely to get involved

Criticisms

• Memory reliability

  • Interviews were conducted five weeks later, so participants’ memories may have faded or been influenced by media coverage or conversations

• Distrust of authority

  • Many young participants distrusted authority figures, meaning they may not have been completely honest about their actions or motives

• Social desirability bias

  • Participants may have altered their responses to appear more positive or justified — either downplaying criminal acts or exaggerating involvement to seem tough

• Sampling issues

  • Difficulties recruiting participants meant researchers relied on prisoners or those already known to police, limiting generalisation to all rioters

  • Those never caught or with no criminal history may have had different motivations