Revision Notes for Multi-Store Memory Model suitable for AQA A2 Psychology and compatible for the New Specification :) These revision notes cover the whole specification, so by going over them you should have enough content for your exams.

2. • Institutional Aggression: Aggressive acts that are
found in particular ‘violent’ institutions, such as
prisons.

3. • Situational Explanation: Emphasises that the
causes of a particular behaviour (aggression) is
due to the context in which it occurs, rather than
any characteristics of the individuals involved.

4. • The Deprivation Model: This model argues that
prisoners act more aggressively in response to
their oppressive conditions in the prison – their
situation causes their aggression.
• Sykes (1958): Described specific deprivations that
inmates experience in prisons which may link to
increased aggression:
– Loss of liberty;
– Loss of autonomy;
– Loss of security etc.
Some may cope with this by secluding themselves
in their cell, while others choose to rebel using
violence against other inmates or against the guards.

5. • For – David Wilson 1990s: Real-world application in HMP
Woodhill. Improved the conditions in two units of the prison
where typical ‘prison noise’ was reduced, radio played,
there was more space, temperatures lowered so less stuffy
and there was an outside view. These changes almost
eradicated violence from inmates, proving dispositional
factors make a difference.
• Against – Harer and Steffensmeier 1996: Conducted a
meta-analysis from 24,000 inmates in 56 US prisons. Both
importation factors (race, criminal history) and deprivation
factors (staff-to-prisoner ratio, security levels) were included
and they tested which of these predicted the likelihood of
aggressive behaviour in individuals. They concluded that
age, race and criminal history were the only significant
factors and that none of the deprivation variables made a
difference.

6. • Dispositional Explanation: Emphasises that the
causes of a particular behaviour (aggression) are
due to the characteristics of the individuals
involved, rather than any aspect of the situation
they are in.

7. • The Importation Model: This model suggests that
inmates bring their violent pasts to the prison.
They draw from their previous experiences on how
to survive in difficult situations and apply these to
the prison.
– Irwin and Cressey 1962: Prisoners are not ‘blank slates’
when they enter prison. Many ‘systems’ which would
have developed in their pasts in the outside world, get
imported into the prisons; the ‘code of the streets.’
– Gang membership is constantly related to anti-social
behaviour. Drury and DeLisi 2011 – Found that in over
1,000 inmates, members who had been in gangs prior
to imprisonment were more likely to commit various
types of misconduct in prison.

8. • For – Poole and Regoli 1983: Found that the best
indicator of violence in juvenile offenders was pre-
institutional violence, regardless of any situational
factors.
• Against – DeLisi et al. 2004: Found that inmates
with prior street gang involvement were no more
likely to commit crimes than other inmates.