aggression - dispositional Flashcards
(Institution aggression: prisons)
Dispositional explanations:
what did Irwin and Cressely say about the importation model
it argues that prisons are not completely insulated from happens of everyday life in ‘real world’.
its the real world which inmates come + bring with them a subculture typical of criminality. includes beliefs, values, norms, attitudes + history of learning experiences. As well as other characteristics like gender, race, class.
What did Thomas and McManimon say about the importation model
(institution aggression)
dispositional explanations
The willingness of inmates to use violence inside prisons to settle disputes reflects their lives before they were imprisoned.
‘people who prey on others on the streets also prey on others in prison’.
-Inmates import behaviours as a means of negotiating their way thru unfamiliar + frightening prison environment in which inmates use aggression to establish power, status, influence, access to resources.
what’s the conclusions drawn from the importation model
(institutional aggression prisons)
dispositional explanations
TF: aggression is the product of individual characteristics of inmates + not of the prison environment. So it follow inmates predisposed to using violence would be likely to do so in any setting + were experienced in doing so outside prison.
who did a study in prisons for dispositional explanations
DesLisi + his colleagues 2011
DesLisi sample
813 juvenile delinquents confined in California.
what was DesLisi et al sample previous history - research Dispositional explanations
(institutional prisons)
PROCEDURE:
-studied 813 juvenile delinquents confined in California.
-these inmates who brought into confinement serval negative dispositional features such as experiences of childhood trauma, high levels of anger + irritability, history of substance abuse and history of violence behaviour.
findings of DesLisi research into dispositional explanations - prisons
FINDINGS:
these inmates were more likely to engage in suicidal activity + sexual misconduct and committed more acts of physical violence that were brought ti the attention of the parole broad (compared with control group of inmates with fewer negative dispositioonal features)
what’s a dispositional explanation for institutional aggression
THE IMPORTATION MODEL
Evaluation of dispositional explanations
(institutional aggression in context prisons)
RESEARCH SUPPORT:
Camp + Goes 2005
-studied 561 male inmates with similar criminal histories + predispositions to aggression.
-half were placed in low-security Californian prisons. other half in 2nd highest categories prisons.
-33% in low + 36% in high were involved in aggressive misconduct in first 2 years a difference that was not statically significant. The researchers concluded: features of prison environment are significantly less important predictors of aggressive behaviours that characteristics on inmates.
Strong evidence- field experiment, random allocation allowing more valid conclusions than other experiments.
ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS:
Dilution 1991 claims importation is inadequate explanation of aggressive behaviour because it ignores roles of prison officials + factors relating to running of prisons.
-proposed administrative control model. states- poorly managed prisons are more likely to experience most serious inmate violence, e.g. homocides, rioting.
poor management: characterised several factors: weak + indecisive leadership, thriving culture of informal + unofficial rules, distant staff, few opportunities for education.
Argues these factors are more influential in determining aggression than inmate characteristics.
ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS:
Dilution 1991
claims importation is inadequate explanation of aggressive behaviour because it ignores roles of prison officials + factors relating to running of prisons.
-proposed administrative control model. states- poorly managed prisons are more likely to experience most serious inmate violence, e.g. homocides, rioting.
poor management: characterised several factors: weak + indecisive leadership, thriving culture of informal + unofficial rules, distant staff, few opportunities for education.
Argues these factors are more influential in determining aggression than inmate characteristics.
RESEARCH SUPPORT:
Camp + Goes 2005
-studied 561 male inmates with similar criminal histories + predispositions to aggression.
-half were placed in low-security Californian prisons. other half in 2nd highest categories prisons.
-33% in low + 36% in high were involved in aggressive misconduct in first 2 years a difference that was not statically significant. The researchers concluded: features of prison environment are significantly less important predictors of aggressive behaviours that characteristics on inmates.
Strong evidence- field experiment, random allocation allowing more valid conclusions than other experiments.
