Institutional Explanations of Aggression

Question 1

What is the dispositional explanation of aggression (the importation model)

Answer 1

Assumes that people are individuals with specific personality traits, likes/dislikes, skills, personal history, attitudes, beliefs etc

Question 2

What is the Irwin and Cressey’s importation model

Answer 2

This model states that prisoners aren’t ‘blank slates’ when they enter prison environments and instead carry with them personal traits, values and behaviours shaped by their experiences outside of the prison.

• i.e. they import their personality into the prison and engage in behaviours that are inline with their personality (built by past experiences)

Inmates who have experienced violence, gang culture etc are more likely to exhibit this in the prison.

Question 3

What are some factor that influence aggression (dispositional explanation) Irwin and Cressy importation model

Answer 3

1: Previously criminal background
2: Personality traits
3: Cultural and social influences

Question 4

AO3: Research support for dispositional explanation

DeLisi et al (2004)

Answer 4

Studies over 1000 juvenile delinquents in Californian institutions and found that those with a history of violence outside the prison were more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour inside the prison

Question 5

AO3: Weakness (of the institutional explanation)

Criticisms of the dispositional explanation

Answer 5

1: Doesn’t account for the environmental factors within prisons that may cause aggression
2: Research may be limited to correlational data which makes it hard to establish causation

Question 6

What is the situational explanation

Answer 6

The situational explanation attributes aggression to the stressful and oppressive conditions of the prison environment (i.e. the external environment)

• This drwas from people experiences, culture, upbrining, education, lifestyle etc

Question 7

What is Skyes deprivation model

Answer 7

This model argues that aggression is a response to the deprivation experienced in prison, such as the loss of freedom, privacy and autonomy.

Question 8

Examples of deprivation

SHLAG

Answer 8

• Security
• Heterosexual relationships
• Liberty
• Autonomy
• Goods andServices

Question 9

How does the thoery of deinidividuation (social psychological) contribute to aggression in prisons (as a situational factor) - McCorkle et al (1995)

Answer 9

Overcrowding, lack of privacy and the inability to engage in meaningful activities were major contributors to violence in prisons

Question 10

What are the psychological and physical factors of the situational explanation

Answer 10

Psychological: deprived of freedom, interdependence and heterosexual intimacy

Physical: deprivation of material goods increases aggressive competition amongst inmates

Question 11

AO1/AO3

Steiner (2009): factors predicting aggression

+ relation to the evolutionary explanation

Answer 11

Steiner investigated factors predicting aggression in 512 US prisons.

inmate-on-inmate violence was more common in prisons where there was a higher proportion of female staff, overcrowding and more inmates in protective custody.

These are situational factors and demonstrate that they lead to in prison violence.

The higher female staff rates leading to aggression may also relate to the evolutionary explanation and link to the diathesis stress model. This is because the external stress of the prison + lack of heterosexual partners aggravates the adaptive innate desire for reproduction

Question 12

Interactionist approach

Answer 12

Many psychologists argue for an interactionist approach and suggest in prison aggression is a result of the combination of dispositional and situational factors.
- The traits the prisoners bring into the prison make them more vunerable to the negative effects of the prison environement.

EXAMPLE: a prisoner witha history of violence (dispositional) may be more likely to respond aggressivley to overcrowding or lack of autonomy (situational)

Question 13

AO3: Strength (of the institutional explanation)

research support

Answer 13

Both models have been supported by research + real world examples (e.g. overcrowding in prisons leading to riots)

Question 14

AO3: Strength (of the institutional explanation)

Real World + Practical Implications

Answer 14

Both models have good applications to possible interventions and therapies to improve the quality of life for prisoners and prison staff,

Question 15

AO3: Weakness (of the institutional explanation)

Research to challeneg the deprivation model (situational explanation)
- Hensley et al (2002)

Answer 15

found that when prisoners were allowed heterosexual intimacy on a visit it did not result in a reduction in aggression