Aggression

Question 1

How is gaining resources from others (e.g. food, territory, mates) an example of an evolutionary explanation for aggression?

Answer 1

-Aggression can help an individual fight for resources
- this would be attractive to women because they would be able to protect and provide for offspring
- a potential mate is judged by how well he could provide for offspring

Question 2

How is gaining status or dominance an evolutionary explanation for aggression?

Answer 2

• it argues that humans have a natural tendency for aggression and this shows dominance
• it is a chance to display attributes and essentially show off to females
• the victor is more likely to gain a mate to reproduce with
• they are likely to father more offspring and have a greater chance of furthering their genetic influence on further generations

Question 3

How is deterring infidelity/ sexual jealousy an evolutionary explanation for aggression?

Answer 3

• sexual jealousy - male violence against partner is motivated by jealousy to ensure own genetic success
• individual fears loosing a mate to another individual
• infidelity poses a threat to a relationship and the possibility of offspring to another union
• paternity uncertainty- raising offspring that is not his own is a waste of his resources

Question 4

What are the 2 mate retention strategies?

Answer 4

Direct guarding
Negative inducements

Question 5

What is direct guarding?

Answer 5

Involves male vigilance over a partner’s behaviour (e.g checking who they’ve been seeing, coming home early,installing tracking apps)

Question 6

What are negative inducements?

Answer 6

Issuing threats of dire consequences eg ill kill myself if you leave me

Question 7

What is the evolutionary explanation of male bullying?

Answer 7

It is an adaptive behaviour thar increases their chances of survival and promote opportunities for reproduction

It is argues that the characteristics associated with bullying behaviour are attractive to the opposite sex e.g dominance in males

Such behaviour would be naturally selected as these males would have greater reproductive success

Question 8

What is the evolutionary explanation of female bullying?

Answer 8

• female bullying more often takes place within a relationship
• it is a method of controlling a partner
• women use bullying behaviour to secure their partner’s fidelity
• they therefore continue to provide resources for future offspring

Question 9

What are 2 strengths of the evolutionary explanation of aggression?

Answer 9

Sadalla et al (1987)
- suggests that women are attracted to dominant behaviour from men
- this supports the idea that aggression in men can increase their chance of reproductive success
- interestingly though, dominant behaviour may have enhanced their attractiveness, but it did not increase how much they were actually liked
- this possibly slows that mate preference is based on survival rather than happiness

Real-life application
- an evolutionary understanding can help devise anti-bullying interventions
- this explanation acknowledges that bullies bully because they stand to gain advantages for themselves
- one method could be to encourage bullies to compete in aggressive but fair sport
- thus would allows them the opportunity to display power but not through bullying

Question 10

What are 2 weaknesses of the evolutionary explanation for aggression?

Answer 10

Social sensitivity
- evolutionary explanation seems to suggest that is is excusable and beyond a person’s control
- this has important implications for the legal system and within society generally
- it should not be used as an excuse for aggression
- this makes research socially sensitive and it should therefore be considered with care

Question 11

What are the 2 elements of the ethological explanation of aggression?

Answer 11

Innate releasing mechanisms

Fixed action patterns

Question 12

What are innate releasing mechanisms?

Answer 12

Built in physiological processes that response to a specific stimuli by initiating a fixed action pattern

Question 13

What are fixed action patterns?

Answer 13

Innate, adaptive sequences of pre-programmed behaviours which are universal within a species

Question 14

Why are fixed action patters ballistic?

Answer 14

It cannot be stoped once initiated

Question 15

What is meant by most aggression is ritualise? (Ethnological explanation)

Answer 15

Aggression is released relatively harmlessly as if an animal was killed every time they fought its genes would not be passed too offspring

Animals mostly fight to assert dominance not kill

Question 16

What is a strength of the Enthological explanation of aggression?

Answer 16

Supporting evidence of IRMs and FAPs
Tinberg (1951)

Presented sticklebacks with a series of wooden models of different shapes

Found: regardless of shape, if the model had a red spot, the stickleback would aggressively display and even attack it.
If there was no red sport there was no aggression, even if the model looked realistically like a stickleback.
Once, triggered the FAP always ran its course to completion without further stimulus

Question 17

What are 3 weaknesses of the Ethological explanation of aggression?

Answer 17

Generalising from animal research:
- generalising from animal research to human aggression is problematic
- the environment in which an animal and human develop is very different
- it could be argues that there is little merit in generalise behaviours across species
- some species may well have an innate releasing mechanism and fixed action patters as it’s useful in their situation
- this cannot be said true for all humans

Universality:
- the ethological theory says that the behaviour is universal to the species
- this is clearly not the case for humans
- even within the same situation some will react aggressively, others will not
- this makes the presence of an innate mechanism and fixed action pattern unlikely

Research lacks validity:
- research into the ethological theory of aggression is said to lack validity
- behaviour is defined as aggressive by its outcome (e.g injuring or killing another creature)
- however it could be argues that this is purely predatory and the aggressive intent is not present
- it is a survival behaviour to get food
- as animals can’t communicate how they feel, it is often not possible to gauge wether the act was aggressive in animals

Question 18

What did Dollard et al (1939) suggest about aggression?

Answer 18

Frustration always leads to aggression and aggression is always the result of aggression

Question 19

What are the factors that affect the likelihood of aggression occurring?

Answer 19

Proximity to the goal

Wether the aggression will remove the barrier causing the frustration

Question 20

Explain how proximity to the goal can increase the likelihood of aggression occurring.

Answer 20

If the individual is very close to achieving their goal then the likelihood of aggression occurring is much greater

Question 21

Explain how wether aggression will remove the barrier causing frustration may increase the likelihood of aggression occurring

Answer 21

If aggression will have no effect on removing the barrier it is less likely to occur

Question 22

What are the 3 reasons why aggression is not allows expressed directly against the source of frustration

Answer 22

1. Cause of our frustration is abstract e.g. the economic situation
2. The cause may be too powerful and we risk punishment by aggressing against it
3. The cause may be unavailable at the time

Question 23

Explain how aggressive cues work

Answer 23

Even if we become angry we might not behave aggressively

The presence of aggressive cues e.g guns in the environment make acting upon this much more likely

Question 24

What is a strength of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 24

Research support
Geen 1968

Conducted a study to investigate the effects of frustration on aggression.
Made university students were given the task of completing a jigsaw.
A confederate interfered with solving the puzzle.
The participants then had to give an electric shock to the confederate when they made a mistake on another task.
Found: groups of participants with interfering participant selected more intense shocks than control group.
This supports the frustration-aggression hypothesis.

Question 25

What are the 3 weaknesses of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 25

Aggression is not always prompted by frustration: - e.g someone may be in a threatening situation and the aggression could be seen as self preservation not frustration - premeditated aggressive acts of psychopaths are not usually underpinned by aggression - there are other elements to aggressive behaviour Not everyone who experiences frustration reacts with aggression: - it is possible that someone may cry rather than become aggressive - they may not feel anger and so react in a different way - the theory cannot account for these different responses Negative affect theory: - frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression and aggression can occur without frustration - frustration is just one of many stimuli that create negative feelings - aggression is triggered but negative feelings, rather than frustration specifically - the outcome can be a range of responses, only one which is aggression

Question 26

What are the 3 weaknesses of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 26

Aggression is not always prompted by frustration: - e.g someone may be in a threatening situation and the aggression could be seen as self preservation not frustration - premeditated aggressive acts of psychopaths are not usually underpinned by aggression - there are other elements to aggressive behaviour Not everyone who experiences frustration reacts with aggression: - it is possible that someone may cry rather than become aggressive - they may not feel anger and so react in a different way - the theory cannot account for these different responses Negative affect theory: - frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression and aggression can occur without frustration - frustration is just one of many stimuli that create negative feelings - aggression is triggered but negative feelings, rather than frustration specifically - the outcome can be a range of responses, only one which is aggression

Question 27

What is negative effect theory?

Answer 27

- frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression and aggression can occur without frustration - frustration is just one of many stimuli that create negative feelings - aggression is triggered but negative feelings, rather than frustration specifically - the outcome can be a range of responses, only one which is aggression

Question 28

What is de-individuation?

Answer 28

A psychological state in which an individuals loses their personal identity and takes on the identity of the social group

Question 29

What are elements of de-individuated behaviour?

Answer 29

- lose self awareness - stop monitoring our behaviour - ignore social norms

Question 30

What are conditions of de-individuation which promote aggressive behaviour?

Answer 30

- anonymity - uniforms - alcohol - drugs - masks

Question 31

What are the two types of self-awareness that can lead to aggression?

Answer 31

Private self-awareness Public self-awareness

Question 32

What is private self-awareness?

Answer 32

How we pay attention to our own feelings and behaviour Reduced when we are part of a crowd Pay less attention to own beliefs Attention becomes focused outwardly to the events around us In crowds self awareness is diminished

Question 33

What is public self-awareness?

Answer 33

Refers to how much we care about what other people think of our behaviour We realise we are just one individual among many We are anonymous Behaviour is less likely to be judged We become less accountable for our aggressive actions

Question 34

What are 3 strengths of the deindividuation explanation of aggression?

Answer 34

Research support: - Douglas and McGarty (2001) - looked at aggressive behaviour in chatrooms - found a strong correlation between anonymity and ‘flaming’ - sending hostile messages - the most aggressive messages were sent by those who chose to hide their real identities - this suggests the existence of a link between anonymity, deindividuation and aggressive behaviour Real life application: - as deindividuation occurs in darkness, a practical application of research is to ensure areas are well-lit - this will ensure that the sense of personal responsibility is not lost and that the likelihood of antisocial behaviour occurring is lowered - CCTV can have a similar effect, as people are often aware that they can be seen and identified - this will make them more accountable for their behaviour Real life application: - deindividuation theory can help us to understand aggressive behaviour in online services e.g Xbox live - these services have many features that promote a psychological state of deindividuation - there is a reduction of personal identity - game playing in such an environment is arousing and immersive - there is a the presence of a ‘crowd’ in the from of a potentially worldwide audience

Question 35

What is a weakness of the deindividuation theory of aggression?

Answer 35

Limited explanation: - deindividuation can only explain aggression that related to specific contexts (where deindividuation can occur) - however aggression does occur outside these contexts - the theory cannot explain every occurrence of aggression e.g. domestic violence - the theory can be seen to have a narrow application

Question 36

What are the 3 media influences on aggression?

Answer 36

Desensitisation Disinhibition Cognitive priming

Question 37

What is desensitisation?

Answer 37

Repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological and psychological arousal associated with anxiety, making aggression more likely to happen

Question 38

What is disinhibition?

Answer 38

Normal social constraints against certain behaviour can be weakened by environmental triggers (e.g violent video games). These behaviours then appear temporarily socially acceptable and therefore more likely.

Question 39

What is cognitive priming?

Answer 39

Violent images provide us with ready-made scripts about aggression which are stored in memory and triggered when we perceive aggressive cues in a situation

Question 40

What is the strength of desensitisation?

Answer 40

Research support for desensitisation: - Weisz and Earls (1995( - showed participants the film ‘Straw Dogs’ which contains a prolonged and graphic scenes of rape. - participants then watched a re-enactment of a rape trial - compared to those who watched a non-sexually violent film, male viewers of Straw Dogs showed greater acceptance of rape myths and sexual aggression and were less likely to find the defendant guilty

Question 41

What is direct learning in the social learning theory of aggression?

Answer 41

Positive reinforcement - child aggressively snatches toy and is more likely to repeat due to the reward of the toy Negative reinforcement - more likely to start a fight with someone to avoid being called a wimp by friends Punishment - aggression is less likely to be repeated if a negative consequence has followed

Question 42

What is indirect learning in the social learning theory to explain attachment?

Answer 42

- observational learning and vicarious reinforcement (e.g role models, observe consequences)

Question 43

What does Bandura consider in the indirect learning element of SLT theory of aggression?

Answer 43

The meditational process

Question 44

What is self-efficacy in SLT to explain aggression?

Answer 44

The extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal

Question 45

What are 2 strengths of SLT to explain aggression?

Answer 45

Real-life application: - adults (teachers/parents) can model pro-social behaviour and the rewards that come with it - they can encourage children to form friendships with other who do not habitually behave aggressively which gives them mire opportunities to model non-aggressive behaviour - reduces the development of aggression in children Acknowledges cognitive factors in learning aggression (self-determinism) - recognises the meditational process - acknowledges we aren’t just passive responders to our environment (have some free will) - more in line with the legal system which assumes we have some conscious control over our actions despite other factors influencing us - less socially sensitive e.g than the evolutionary explanation which suggests the aggressive behaviour isn’t their fault

Question 46

What are the weaknesses of SLT to explain aggression?

Answer 46

Underestimates the influence of biological factors - boys had more aggressive behaviour than girls in the Bobo doll experiment (Bandura) - SLT cannot explain a gender difference - there are genetic, evolutionary, neural and hormonal factors which SLT barely acknowledges - incomplete explanation Cultural differences where aggression is not reinforced - different cultures have different norms about which behaviours should be reinforced - e.g Kung San tribe - in this tube social norms don’t acknowledge aggression e.g parents don’t use aggression to discipline their children - this means models of aggression are unavailable for children to observe - vicarious reinforcement would also be a rare experience

Question 47

What are the methodologies used to study media effects on aggression?

Answer 47

Experimental studies Correlational studies Longitudinal (these studies are correlational too) Meta-analysis

Question 48

What is an example of an experimental study on media influences on aggression?

Answer 48

Bartholow and Anderson (2002) - lab-based - students either played a violent or non-violent computer game for 10 minutes - they all then carried out a measure of aggression (Taylor Competitive reaction time test) - students are required to give blasts of white noise at chosen volumes to punish a component Found: - those who played the violent game selected higher noise levels compared to the nonviolent players

Question 49

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using experimental studies to measure media effects on aggression?

Answer 49

- S: can establish a casual cause and effect - W: artificial and unrealistic situations in a lab

Question 50

What is an example of a correlational study on the effects of media on aggression?

Answer 50

DeLisi et al (2013) - studies 227 juvenile offenders - used unstructured interviews to gather data on several measures of aggression and violent computer game playing Found: - the offenders’ aggressive behaviour was significantly correlated with how often they played violent computer games

Question 51

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using correlational studies to investigate the effects of media on aggression?

Answer 51

- S: allow us to investigate realistic forms of aggression - W: cannot draw cause-and-effect conclusions

Question 52

What is an example of a longitudinal study on the effects of media on aggression?

Answer 52

Robertson et al (2013) - wanted to see if there was a link between excessive TV viewing in childhood and aggressive behaviour in adulthood - studied people born in New Zealand and measured their TV viewing hours at regular intervals up to age 26 Found: - time spent watching TV was a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour in adulthood - those who watched the most TV were also more likely to be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder

Question 53

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using longitudinal studies to investigate media effects on aggression?

Answer 53

- S: views people as active consumes rather than passive participants, which is a much more realistic view of how people interact with media - W: may interact with other sources of aggression over the long period of time e.g. role models

Question 54

What is an example of a study that uses meta-analysis to investigate the effect of media on aggression?

Answer 54

Anderson et al (2010) - pardoned a meta-analysis of 136 studies Found: - exposure to violent computer games was associated with increases in aggressive behaviours, thoughts and feelings - this was true for males and females across collectivist and individualist cultures

Question 55

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using meta-analysis to investigate the effects of media on aggression?

Answer 55

- S: allows us to view data with much more confidence and results can be generalised accords much larger populations - W: scientific research tends to mostly only publish findings that are statistically significant - this is an issue as meta-analysis generally only includes published studies - could bias conclusions and affect the validity

Question 56

What is a weakness of desensitisation?

Answer 56

Not everyone is equally affected by desensitisation: -It is hard to establish a connection between media exposure and desensitisation - media exposure is widespread and yet we are not all affected equally - individual vulnerability in terms of level of emotion experienced may explain why some are more desensitised than others

Question 57

What is a strength of disinhibition?

Answer 57

Research support: Berkowitz and Alioto (1973) - found participants who saw a film showing aggression as vengeance gave more electric shocks to a confederate - demonstrates the link between removal of social constraints and subsequence aggressive behaviour

Question 58

What is a weakness of disinhibition?

Answer 58

May only apply to certain media - it is likely that not all forms of media will evoke feelings of disinhibition - there is bias in the research towards disinhibition in playing computer games - this suggests that disinhibition may apply only to certain forms of media and that the strongest effect are found in computer gaming

Question 59

What is a strengths of cognitive priming?

Answer 59

Practical application - someone who habitually watches violent media accesses stored aggressive scripts more readily - they are more likely to interpret cues as aggressive, resort to a violent solution and fail to consider alternatives - effective interventions could potential reduce aggressive behaviours by challenging cognitive biases

Question 60

What is a weakness of cognitive priming?

Answer 60

Cause and effect - hard to establish cause and effect - it is possibly that aggressive and violent people choose to watch more violent programmes, not that violent programmes cause the violent behaviour

Question 61

What are the neural mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 61

The limbic system Serotonin

Question 62

Describe how the limbic system is involved in aggression.

Answer 62

Involved in processing emotional responses

Question 63

What are the components of the limbic system?

Answer 63

Cingulate gyrus Hypothalamus Thalamus Amygdala

Question 64

Describe the role of the amygdala in aggression in the limbic system

Answer 64

Strong connection to aggression Appears to function in tandem with the orbitofrontal cortex (which is not part of the limbic system)

Question 65

Describe the role of serotonin in aggression.

Answer 65

Serotonin is thought to inhibit aggressive behaviour Decreased serotonin may reduce self-control and lead to an increase in impulsive behaviour

Question 66

What are the strengths of neural mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 66

Supporting research for the limbic system: - Raine et al (1997) - scanned 41 murderers and 41 controls - PET scans showed that some of the murderers had abnormalities in the way their limbic systems functioned - this suggests that the limbic system could be implicated in aggressive behaviour Supporting research for serotonin: - found when men take drugs that increase their serotonin levels, they display low levels of aggression - this suggests that there may be a casual link between serotonin levels and aggressive behaviour

Question 67

What are the weaknesses of neural mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 67

Research is correlational: - the research linking brain abnormalities to violence is only correlational - there are also people who have limbic system abnormalities who do not demonstrate violent behaviour - cause and effect cannot be determined Deterministic: - there is a limited amount of control the individual has over their biochemistry - therefore the individual has little control over how they act - this has implications for the legal system and punishing violent crimes

Question 68

Which hormone is mentioned is part of the hormonal explanation for aggression?

Answer 68

testosterone

Question 69

Increased levels of testosterone are thought to be related to _________ levels of aggression.

Answer 69

Increased

Question 70

What mechanisms is testosterone linked to that can explain aggression?

Answer 70

Aromatase Orbital-frontal cortex Serotonin

Question 71

Describe the role of aromatase with testosterone in aggression.

Answer 71

Reduced levels of aromatase (enzyme) e.g in the amygdala means that the testosterone in the brain will not have enough enzyme for it to activate. This means the testosterone will have less effect This reduces the likelihood of an aggressive reaction

Question 72

How is the orbito-frontal cortex with testosterone linked to aggression?

Answer 72

If an individual has high levels of testosterone, activity in the orbito-frontal cortex is reduced which leads to less self control as the orbito-frontal cortex is thought to be involved in self-control, impulse regulation and inhibition of aggression

Question 73

How is serotonin and testosterone linked to aggression?

Answer 73

Testosterone can reduce the activity of serotonin Low levels of serotonin are implicated in aggressive behaviour

Question 74

What is a strength of hormonal mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 74

Dabbs et al (1987) - measured testosterone levels in the saliva of 89 male prison inmates - those with a higher testosterone concentration were more likely to have been convicted of violent crimes - however, generalising from criminals may be problematic

Question 75

What are 3 weaknesses of hormonal mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 75

Problems measuring testosterone levels: - testosterone can be measured using saliva samples - this is a reliable measure - however, hormonal fluctuations occur throughout the day to test-retest reliability may be low Problems with correlational research: - as most of the research is correlational, no firm conclusions can be made about cause and effect - testosterone levels may be a response to aggression, rather than a cause of it - caution should be taken when describing the role testosterone plays in aggression Deterministic: - there is a limited amount of control the individual has over their hormones - if aggression is explained in this way, it is saying the individual has little control over the way they act - this has implications in the legal system

Question 76

What are the ways in which our genetic make up can potentially affect our levels of aggression?

Answer 76

- genes can determine levels of testosterone - the speed with which testosterone is metabolised (processed by the body) - genes can determine the physiology of the brain - genes can determine the strength of the pathways between the limbic system and the frontal cortex

Question 77

How is genetic infeluce on aggression investigated?

Answer 77

Twin and adoption studies Family studies Animal research

Question 78

Describe the role of the MAOA gene

Answer 78

MAOA gene controls the production of the MAOA enzyme.

Question 79

Describe the role of the MAOA enzyme

Answer 79

Involved in processing serotonin. Some versions of the MAOA gene result in lower levels of MAOA, and therefore lower levels of serotonin, which has been linked to aggression.

Question 80

What is the warrior gene?

Answer 80

MAOA gene

Question 81

Describe the gene-environment interactions to explain aggression

Answer 81

- an individual inherits a predisposition to being aggressive - this predisposition can be mediated by the environment - aggressiveness is influenced by a variation in the MAOA gene which is sensitive to social experiences in early development

Question 82

What is a strength of genetic factors to explain aggression?

Answer 82

Evidence implicating the MAOA gene: Brunner et al (1993) - studied 5 male members of a family in the Netherlands - they demonstrated impulsive aggression - through monitoring their rune samples it was found that they has a shorted versions of the MAOA gene which meant they have the MAOA enzyme deficiency - this shows the the MAOA gene can affect families - this case has important implications in the lega system and how culpable someone is of any crime they commit

Question 83

What are the weaknesses of genetic factors to explain aggression?

Answer 83

Deterministic - cannot control genetics - implications in punishing crimes in the legal system Isolating genetic factors - difficult to Separate genetic and environmental factors - an individual may posses a gene associated with aggression but that behaviour is only expressed if environmental conditions are favourable - interaction with the environment is clearly important as well as the gene - incomplete explanation Multiple genetic influences: - there are probably other genes involved in aggression - it has been calculated that hundreds or thousands of genes interact in complex ways to determine aggressive behaviour - this casts doubt over any candidate gene

Question 84

what are the 2 explanations of aggression in prisons?

Answer 84

Dispositional explanation Situational explanation

Question 85

Which model is used in the Dispositional explanation of institutional aggression?

Answer 85

Importation model

Answer 86

Importation model

Question 87

Describe the importation model

Answer 87

- prisoners import their aggressive tendencies into prison with them - these aggressive characteristics may come from sources such as genetics, testosterone and serotonin levels - the aggression that is evident in prisons is no different to how the offenders act when they’re in their home environment

Question 88

What are the situational explanations of institutional aggression?

Answer 88

Organisational Physical Staff characteristics

Question 89

Describe the organisational situational explanation of institutional aggression

Answer 89

The influence of rules and regulations that prisoners must adhere to can prompt aggression as the expectation is that all prisoners must follow them

Question 90

Describe the physical situational explanation of institutional aggression

Answer 90

The potentially cramped conditions, threatening environment and lack of comfort can lead to aggression

Question 91

Describe staff characteristics as a situational explanation of institutional aggression

Answer 91

The attitude and behaviour of the staff can be influential in promoting aggression in inmates e.g. clash of personalities

Question 92

Which model is used in the situational explanation of institutional aggression?

Answer 92

The deprivation model

Question 93

Describe the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 93

Places the cause of institutional aggression within the prison environment itself Harsh prison conditions are stressful for inmates who have to cope by reporting to aggressive and violent behaviour

Question 94

Describe deprivation of liberty as part of the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 94

- loss of freedom may reinforce the feeling of rejection from society - offenders are more likely to be antagonistic and aggressive

Question 95

Describe deprivation of autonomy as part of the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 95

- no independence or control over their day to day loved - feeling of helplessness can lead to frustration and aggression - leads to feelings of anger and powerlessness

Question 96

Describe deprivation of goods and services as part of the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 96

- access to goods is severely restricted - deprivation of some material goods can increase competition amongst inmates to acquire them which increases aggression

Question 97

Describe deprivation of heterosexual relationships as part of the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 97

- no companionship - can lead to frustration and consequently aggression

Question 98

Describe deprivation of security as part of the deprivation model to explain institutional aggression

Answer 98

- the prison environment doesn’t feel secure for most prisoners - they fear for their personal safety - this fear can lead to heightened awareness and defensiveness - this could make aggression more likely

Question 99

What are the strengths of the explanation of institutional aggression?

Answer 99

Dispositional explanation is idiographic: - it looks at prisoners in a more idiographic way rather than saying they’re all the same - the theory is arguing that the effects of experiences and predisposition are individual and therefore can explain well why some offenders are violent and others not Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: - supports the idea that situational effects in a prison could lead to aggression - physiological needs cannot be met all the time due to the enforced regime of sleeping and eating - safety needs are not possible to due the lack of perceived safety - this means the drive to self-actualisation is prevented and can therefore lead to negative behaviours

Question 100

What are the weaknesses of the explanations of institutional aggression?

Answer 100

Evidence against situational factors: Hensley at al (2002) - studies 25 male and female inmates in prisons which allowed conjugal visits (victims for partners to have sex) - there was no link between involvement in these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour - this shows situational factors don’t affect prison violence Interactionist model: - the importation model may be a better explanation of violence between inmates, but the deprivation model is more useful in understanding aggression against prison staff - an interactionist mode may be more appropriate - Inmates entering prion for the first time will suffer deprivation but deprivation doesn’t necessarily lead to violence unless it combines with the individual characteristics imported into prisons by inmates