dispositional factors

• What does dispositional explanation mean?

  Any explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individual's personality.The dispositional explanation for institutional aggression is the importation model.
• What is institutional aggression?

  Aggressive or violent behaviour that takes place within the social context of a prison or other formal organised settings.
• The importation model

  Proposed by Irwin and Cressey (1962). Importing aggressive attitudes and behaviour into the prisons therefore it is not the situation but the individual themselves. Aggression = individual traits + subcultural characteristics. Import these aggressive attitudes and behaviours in order to negotiate their way through the unfamiliar and frightening prison environment that they have entered. Examples include existing inmates who use aggression to establish power, status and access to resources.
• What are the 3 types of subcultures that influence inmates?

  Criminal/thief subculture Convict subculture Conventional/straight subculture
• Criminal/thief subculture

  The code of honour stipulates that you must not tell on fellow inmates, promotes honour, trust and loyalty & attracts hardened repeat offenders.
• Convict subculture

  This has a strong hierarchy and much behaviour within the group depends on the position in the hierarchy. Aggression is used to exercise power over others, it attracts inmates from deprived areas familiar with gang culture.
• Conventional/straight subculture

  These individuals will be new to prison and one time offenders. They will try and steer clear of other two subcultures, less aggressive and more in common with prison guards.
• De Lisi (2011) - AO3 support


  • Analysed 813 Juvenile delinquents confined in prisons in California
  • Looked at a history of dispositional features such as childhood trauma, high levels of anger, histories of substance abuse and violent behaviour
  • Inmates (compared to a control group) were much more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct or physical violence measured by incidents brought to the attention of the Parole board
• Dispositional factors such as childhood trauma- De Lisi


  More likely to account for misconduct within a prison than situation factors (the prison itself)
• This study (unlike lab experiments)- De Lisi

  • Gains validity as De Lisi studied real delinquents in the context of their own life experiences to draw their results
  • The result may be generalizable to other offenders and why they commit aggression against others
• Gaes et al (1985) - AO3 limitation


  Found that overcrowding in prisons can be the cause of not just ill health and general misconduct, but also aggression and violence between inmates.