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Beliefs about aggression among male and female prisoners
Author(s) -
Archer John,
Haigh Anadelle
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1997)23:6<405::aid-ab1>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - aggression , hostility , anger , psychology , poison control , injury prevention , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , developmental psychology , association (psychology) , clinical psychology , medicine , medical emergency , psychotherapist
This study investigated instrumental and expressive beliefs about aggression, and their association with self‐reported aggression, among male (N = 62) and female (N = 47) prisoners serving sentences in closed prisons in the North of England. Instrumental but not expressive beliefs were strongly correlated with measures of aggression. Expressive beliefs were significantly higher among females than males, but unlike previous findings, there were no significant sex differences in instrumental beliefs or in physical aggression. However, age was significantly negatively correlated with instrumental beliefs, physical aggression, anger and hostility. Those convicted for violent offences showed significantly higher scores for physical aggression and anger, but lower scores for expressive beliefs. The results provide both similarities and contrasts with previous findings for student samples. Aggr. Behav. 23:405–415, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.