Aggression - Institutional Aggression Flashcards
What is an institution?
Forms of human organisation often people within an organisation often share behavioural characteristics. Prisons institutions and in prison high levels of aggressive behaviour is often observed. Psychologists are interested in explaining why prisons are so violent.
What is the dispositional factors of prison?
Suggest that the high levels of aggression in prison is due to the personal characteristics of the prisoners in the prison not the environment of the prison.
Explain the individual internal characteristics of prisoners.
High levels of anger impulsivity experience of using violence to solve problems and deviant socialisation.
What is the importation model for dispositional explanation of aggression in institutions?
The theory suggests aggression is imported into the prison environment from the outside world as a result of prisoners personality. Prisons gather people who often have been convicted of violent crimes put them in one place and the prisoners continue to perform aggressive behaviours in the prison.
What is gang membership and why is it so common in prisons?
Membership is common in prisoners these prisoners bring their prior gang alliances feuds and street culture with them into the prisoner environment. This can result in instrumental violence premeditated aggression used as a perhaps to settle scores with other gangs or increased status within the prison.
What are other factors that prisoners bring with them from the outside world?
Withdrawal from alcohol or drug addiction and level of educational achievement.
What are the biological factors that prisoners bring with them from the outside world?
High levels of testosterone, e.g. males linked to aggression and younger prisoners often being more aggressive.
