Dispositional & Situational Explanations of Aggression in Prisons (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

Dispositional explanations

• A dispositional explanation of aggression is one which assumes that people are individuals with specific personality traits, likes/dislikes, skills, personal history, attitudes, beliefs, etc.

• People do not neatly compartmentalise their behaviours to fit each specific situation; rather, they influence and act on social contexts according to their disposition

• Offenders who are imprisoned enter prison with a distinct set of personality traits, just as they would any situation

• This is explained by the importation model (Irwin & Cressey, 1962), i.e., offenders ‘import’ (bring in) their personality to the prison and engage in behaviours in line with their personality (including their past experiences)

• The importation model assumes that if an individual enters a prison with a history of violent and abusive behaviour, then this will be seen in their behaviour inside the prison, i.e., they are simply adhering to what is for them a set of personal norms

Situational explanations

• A situational explanation is one which assumes that the external environment plays a significant role in determining behaviour

• Situational explanations draw from a person’s experience, culture, upbringing, education, lifestyle, etc.

• A situational explanation of aggression in prisons uses the deprivation model (Sykes, 1958) to explain the effects of a harsh environment on aggressive behaviour

• The deprivation model assumes that prisons are stressful environments in which bullying, abuse, depression, isolation and distance from loved-ones and material comforts all combine to promote aggression

• Situational explanations have some relevance to the frustration-aggression hypothesis, i.e., it is frustrating to be obstructed from pursuing one’s daily activities, to be locked up for hours on end, to have to endure the company of others without any personal choice, to have no heterosexual contact in the matter and such frustrations may easily fuel aggressive behaviour

• A key situational factor which contributes to aggressive behaviour in prisons is that of overcrowding, as this exacerbates the negative effects of prison life and may link to the idea of de-individuation as a factor in aggression (e.g. loss of self-awareness and identity in a crowd)

Research which investigates institutional aggression in the context of prisons

• DeLisi et al. (2011) – from a sample of 2,520 male offenders, it was found that family background/upbringing was a strong influence on dispositional aggression and rule-breaking within the prison

• Cao et al. (1997) - individual characteristics of offenders e.g. race and gender are critical factors in determining how each offender will respond to prison life which supports the importation model 

• Cunningham et al. (2010) – 35 prison homicides in Texas could be explained via the deprivation model e.g. fights about possessions, homosexual relationships, drugs

• Megargee (1977) – a longitudinal study conducted over three years which found that overcrowding was a key determinant of aggressive behaviour in male youth-offender institutions

Evaluation of institutional aggression in the context of prisons

Strengths

• Both the importation and deprivation models have been supported by a body of research and by real-world examples of overcrowding in prisons leading to prison riots 

• Both models have good application to possible interventions and therapies which could be used to make life less difficult for both prisoners and prison staff e.g. social skills training, anger management, more space per prisoner

Weaknesses

• Neither theory really accounts for biological factors as an explanation of aggression in prisons, e.g., high levels of testosterone, cortisol and adrenaline

• Some research has challenged the assumptions of the deprivation model; e.g., Hensley et al. (2002) found that when prisoners were allowed heterosexual intimacy with their partners on a prison visit, it did not result in a reduction in their aggressive behaviour

Issues & Debates

• Most research into institutional aggression is gender biased, as it focuses on male prisoners

  • This may lead to beta bias — assuming findings apply equally to female inmates, despite potential differences in how aggression is expressed or experienced

  • For example, female prisoners may show less physical aggression and more relational or emotional responses, which these models often overlook

  • This lack of representation limits the universality and validity of both the importation and deprivation models