Question

You are a rookie correctional officer at a state prison. The day is coming to an end and the inmates are in their cells. As you make your rounds to conduct head count, one of the inmates asks you if you’d bring him a piece of dental floss. The inmate says he has an uncooked grain of rice from dinner stuck in his back teeth and it is very painful. The inmate only needs a small piece, surely not enough to pose any problem. According to prison rules, dental floss may only be used in the shower area, under observation. It is apparent to you that the inmate is in discomfort, and you know this inmate to be well-behaved. You are inclined to provide the dental floss. After all, this inmate has never given you trouble, and in fact you think that he might be helpful in the future when it comes to relations with troublesome inmates. Such a relationship would illustrate the concept of:

a.) officer accommodation
b.) "blind eye"
c.) informal give-and-take
d.) reciprocity

Answer 1

d.) reciprocity

Step-by-step explanation:

Reciprocity is a basic principle in which an individual is obliged to respond with an action in any form that is positive, when being offered a favor by someone. Reciprocity is a social relationship based on returning a favor received from someone.

According to the scenario given in the question above, the relationship between you as a rookie correctional officer and the inmate best illustrate the social psychological concept known as reciprocity. You are expecting the innate to return the favor you offered him, in terms of the inmate being helpful in the relations with troublesome inmates in the future.