Dispositional Explanation - Evaluations Flashcards
What did Adams (1981) find regarding the association of race with violent acts in American prisons?
Adams (1981) found that in American prisons, black inmates were more likely to be associated with violent acts compared to white inmates. The dispositional explanation suggests that individuals bring cultural norms, including aggression, from their backgrounds into the prison environment.
How did Gaes et al. (1988) contribute to the understanding of ethnicity and violence in prisons?
Gaes et al. (1988) studied 82,000 prisoners in US prisons and found that prisoners with Hispanic origins were more violent than those with a non-Hispanic origin. Conversely, prisoners with Asian origins were less likely to be violent than non-Asian prisoners. This research supports the idea that cultural factors, including ethnicity, contribute to aggression imported into the prison setting.
What conflicting evidence did DeLisi (2004) provide regarding the dispositional explanation of aggression in prisons?
DeLisi (2004) studied 813 male inmates in US prisons and found no correlation between violence in prisons and previous gang membership. This conflicts with the predictions of the importation model, which suggests that individuals with a culture of aggression in their lives, such as gang members, would be more likely to display aggression in prisons.
What critique is raised regarding the research on aggression in prisons, particularly concerning gender?
Most of the research on aggression in prisons has focused on male prisoners, leading to limited understanding of reasons for female violence in prisons. This androcentric perspective may not apply the same reasons for male violence to explain female violence, and the research may exhibit a beta bias by overlooking potential gender differences in the factors affecting aggression.
How does the dispositional explanation account for the introduction of aggression into the prison environment?
The dispositional explanation, such as the Importation Model, posits that individuals bring their cultural norms, including aggression, into the prison when they enter. Factors like race, ethnicity, and previous gang membership are considered dispositional traits that can influence aggression in the prison setting.
