Frustration-aggression hypothesis

• Who proposed the Frustration-aggression hypothesis?

  Dollard (1939)
• What is the Frustration-aggression hypothesis

  When our drive to reach a goal is blocked by external forces we experience frustration which, in turn creates an aggressive drive. This can lead to aggressive behaviour. When we express this aggression physically, verbally or fantasising we experience catharsis - our emotional tension is reduced
• What are the reasons for our aggression being displaced?

  1. The cause of frustration is abstract - e.g. the economy, the government or the music industry etc.
  2. The cause is too powerful and we risk punishment by aggressing against e.g. your boss, teacher, the police, the government
  3. The cause may be temporarily unavailable e.g. when you're angry at your friend but you can't get in touch with them
• Automatic aggression or just readiness for aggression?

  • Some psychologists suggest that if we become angry we still might not behave aggressively
  • Frustration simply leads to a readiness for aggressive behaviour, however certain environmental cues can make the aggression more likely to occur
• Who carried out the Weapons Effect study?

  Berkowitz (1967)
• What was the procedure to the Weapons Effect?

  • Created anger and frustration in participants by having a confederate give them electrical shocks.
  • The participants then had the opportunity to turn the tables and shock the confederates
• What were the findings of the Weapons Effect study?

  • There was a marked difference in the numbers of shocks given by Ps if there were weapons present in the lab
  • In one condition, two guns were next to the shock machine - Average number of shocks given was 6.07
  • In the control condition (no guns) average number of shocks was only 4.67
• Conclusions of the Weapons Effect study?

  The weapons effect suggests that the presence of aggressive environmental cues can turn a readiness for aggression into actual aggressive behaviour
• What is Catharsis?

  • A process of releasing and therefore gaining relief from strong unpleasant emotions and displacement
  • Unconscious defence mechanism
• What was the procedure of Greens study?

  Lab experiment. Male university students completed a jigsaw puzzle, during which level of frustration was manipulated in one of three ways:

  • For some Ps the puzzle was impossible to solve
  • Others ran out of time because a confederate kept interfering
  • Others were insulted by the confederates

  Then the Ps gave fake electric shocks to the confederates whenever he made a mistake on a task
• What were the findings of Greens study?

  • Insulted Ps gave the strongest shocks on average then the interfered group, then the impossible task group.
  • All three groups selected more intense shocks than a non-frustrated control group.
• Limitations of Greens Study?

  • Lab experiment - Artificial environment so could lead to demand characteristics. And poor external validity
  • Only used male students - Beta bias
  • Jigsaw puzzle was used - Artificial task so could lead to demand characteristics
• Strength of Frustration-aggression hypothesis - Supporting Research

  • Berkowitz
  • Green
• Limitation of Frustration-aggression hypothesis:

  • Evidence suggests aggression is not cathartic
  • Bushman (2002) found that Ps who vented their anger by hitting s punch bag became more angry and aggressive rather than less
  • This casts doubt on the validity of a central assumption of the hypothesis
• Strength of Frustration-aggression hypothesis:

  • Useful real-life application
  • Berkowitz argument that the "Trigger can pull the finger" has featured in the gun control debate in the US
  • Some states allow open carry where a gun does not have to be concealed. But the presence of a weapon acts as a cue to aggression making its use more likely.
  • Research into the weapons effect may reduce gun-related violence by showing that aggressive cues should be removed from the environment, saving lives
• Limitation of Frustration-aggression hypothesis:

  • Reductionist
  • Ignores biological influences for aggression
• Limitation of Frustration-aggression hypothesis:

  • Deterministic
  • Ignores free will