institutional aggression (prisons) Flashcards
DISPOSITIONAL EXPLANATIONS AO1
individuals disposition, the traits and characteristics that together create an individual’s identity, are the main factors in any aggression displayed by that individual.
IMPORTATION MODEL
–> DISPOSITIONAL
IRWIN + CRESSEY
TS the prison aggression is due to the personal characteristics of inmates. TIB several factors:
o VALUES + ATTITUDES: violence = acceptable response to conflict.
o GENETICS may make them more prone to aggression (e.g could carry MAOA-L or have
less activity in their prefrontal lobe).
o AGE: younger inmates may find it harder to adjust to prison life ∴ engage in more conflict + see aggression as an appropriate response.
o PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: taught them to be more w/ issues that create aggressive behaviour like early abuse)
research related to dispositional arguement
DABBS
Measure testosterone in saliva of 692 adult m inmates. Found higher level of testosterone in rapists + violent offenders than in burglars / thieves
TS dispositional argument of biology. TIB shows more violent criminals had different hormonal balance to less violent criminals.
*RAINE
SAMPLE: 41 murderers (pleaded insanity)
DESIGN: Matched for age, gender and SZ (for 6 of them)
IV: Murders // non-murderers : Brain activity
DV: brain activity
METHOD: matched to control group. PET scan showed which areas of the brain were more active.
FOUND: murderers had less brain activity in the prefrontal lobe + abnormal activity in amygdale than control groups
TS murderers more aggressive in jails bc of lack of activity in amygdala or less prefrontal lobe activity. TS dispositional argument
POOLE + RIGOLI
Found among juvies in 4 diff institutions, pre-institutional violence was the best predictor of inmate aggression
TS dispositional explanation previous experiences
KEY STUDY RAINE
*RAINE
SAMPLE: 41 murderers (pleaded insanity)
DESIGN: Matched for age, gender and SZ (for 6 of them)
IV: Murders // non-murderers : Brain activity
DV: brain activity
METHOD: matched to control group. PET scan showed which areas of the brain were more active.
FOUND: murderers had less brain activity in the prefrontal lobe + abnormal activity in amygdale than control groups
TS murderers more aggressive in jails bc of lack of activity in amygdala or less prefrontal lobe activity. TS dispositional argument
DISPOSITIONAL EXPLANATIONS IMPS
JANUS + KANE
Existing facts (e.g. low level of education correlated w/ aggression in prison
There are IMPLICATIONS for dispositional explanation
TIBàJANUS + KANE
TS education is a key factor in inst. agg.
government should invest in educational info structure, esp. in minority areas (in America 42% of black kids go to high poverty school vs 6% of white kids)
DISPOSITIONAL –> GENDER
+ EXPLAINS DIFFS IN GENDER
Men more aggrieve than women (85% of violent crime committed by men // men make up majority of armed forces)
This may be due to testosterone as supported by DABBS.
HOWEVER
BOOK 45 studies found a mean correlation of 0.14 between testosterone and aggression. (low correlation between testosterone and aggression, showing that although it is a factor in increasing aggression it is not the main factor, TS unlikely testosterone alone is enough to explain gender differencea bc too simplistic + overstated)
INFACT
WOLFF US prisons - found inmate-to-inmate violence was the same regardless of gender but staff-to-inmate violence was much higher in male prisons, TS an expectation that m guards put on m prisoners to be more aggressive
SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS AO1
The social environment in the prison can cause aggression
TIB experience of imprisonment causes inmates stress + frustration, which leads to violence
DEPRIVATION MODEL
HARER + STEFFENSMEIER described how inmate’s behaviour is a response to problems of adjustment cause by the pains of imprisonment. - ‘Pains’ include: Isolation Boredom Loneliness
Interpersonal violence = reaction to these ‘pains’.
e.g, overcrowding crisis in UK prisons forced many inmates to share cells – linked to incr. interpersonal violence, self-harm + suicide.
RELATED RESEARCH INTO SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS
TDNS Deprivation Model.
McCORKLE
found little evidence to support the connection between violence and environmental factors such as overcrowding and living conditions in 371 state prisons (US). found management of prison was a better predictor of serious violence.
TS deprivation model is not effective in explaining inst. agg. May cause stress + frustration but not violence. BUT suggests the management of prison has an effect on violence due to situational factors
SITUATIONAL - SOCIAL ROLES + DEINDIVIDUATION
o Suggests when we take on a social role we experience deindividuation (lose sense of individual identity → anonymity) ∴ behaviours we would usually inhibit are now not as likely to be stopped→ ∴ more aggressive
o Role may encourage aggression e.g. prison guards, soldiers, police might both de-individualise (uniform) us but also encourage norms ∴ incr. aggression.
ZIMBARDO STANFORD PRISON
SAMPLE: 24 Young men (pre-tested → mentally normal + not overly aggressive)
IV: Prisoner // Guard
DV: behaviour
METHOD: Created a prison in the bottom of Stanford University. Randomly assigned roles. Prisoners were ‘arrested’ at home and brought to the prison. Guards were responsible for behaviour, discipline + feeding prisoners. All recorded on cameras.
RESULTS: ‘Guards’ displayed surprising amounts of aggression to prisoners within hours of study beginning (e.g. taunting prisoners + imposing pointless tasks + punishments incl. spraying with a fire-extinguisher + stripping them naked). Study shut down after 6 days (meant to be 2 weeks).
TS theory as guards did not show sadistic tendencies prior to study thus aggression was due to prison enviro
TIB they conformed to their social roles (guard) + experience deindividuation (uniform + glasses)
FURTHER RESEARCH INTO SOCIAL ROLES + DEINDIVIDUATION
ZIMBARDO: Female pts in a Milgram like set up w/ teacher + learner.
De-individuation condition → wore hoods + a uniform (∴ not identified by each other.)
Individuated group → wore own clothes + name tags + introduced to each other.
FINDINGS: de-individuated group shocked 2X as much as individuated group.
TS theory as when pts experience deindividuation, they became more aggressive
WOLFF: US prisons → found inmate-to-inmate violence was the same regardless of gender but staff-to-inmate violence was much higher in male prisons.
TS situational explanation TIB is shows people conforming to their social roles, in which guards are expected to be more aggressive
