BELIEFS ABOUT AGGRESSION AMONG MALE AND FEMALE PRISONERS

This study investigated instrumental and expressive beliefs about aggr ession, and their association with self-reported aggression, among mal e (N = 62) and female (N = 47) prisoners serving sentences in closed p risons in the North of England. Instrumental but not expressive belief s were strongly correlated with measures of aggression. Expressive bel iefs were significantly higher among females than mates, but unlike pr evious findings, there were no significant sex differences in instrume ntal 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 sign ificantly higher scores for physical aggression and anger, but lower s cores for expressive beliefs. The results provide both similarities an d contrasts with previous findings for student samples. (C) 1997 Wiley -Liss, Inc.