FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION HYPOTHESIS

• FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION HYPOTHESIS?

  • Dollard
  • aggression is a consequence of frustration (feelings of tension when effects to reach goal are blocked)
  • frustration increases with strong motivations, expectations of gratification or if there is nothing you can do about it
  • frustration causes increase in aggressive drive which must be released by aggressive behaviour (catharsis - emotional release after aggressive behaviour)
  • displaced if object is too abstract, too powerful or unavailable
• ISSUES WITH FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION HYPOTHESIS?

  • establishes cause and effect relationship
  • does not explain all instances of aggression
  • for example, some people get frustrated without exhibiting aggressive behaviour
  • therefore Negative Affect theory more appropriate
• NEGATIVE AFFECT THEORY?

  • Berkowitz
  • negative affect (unpleasant emotion after failure to reach goal)
  • suggests aggression is only one possible consequence of frustration
  • as fight or flight response triggered by negative affect
  • other consequences of frustration are anxiety, despair, pain, helplessness, jealousy and loneliness
• EVALUATION?

  + Green

  -Harris

  -SLT

  -Berkowitz and LePage
• GREEN?

  • male
  • university students
  • given jigsaw task
  • experimental group frustrated by being given unsolvable puzzle/ insulted/ interrupted by confederate (vs control group who were not frustrated)
  • then asked to shock confederates
  • experimental group gave more intense electric shocks, most intense given to the confederates who insulted, then interrupted then unsolvable puzzle
• HARRIS?

  • field experiment
  • 320 males and females
  • queue
  • confederate cuts in front
  • either wearing high or low status clothing
  • participants were more aggressive towards those in low status clothing
• SLT?

  • Bandura
  • Bobo dolls experiment
  • more aggressive behaviour if observed in environment
  • so frustration causes arousal
  • but arousal only causes aggression if it has been effective for the individual before or the individual has observed it be effective for others
• BERKOWITZ AND LEPAGE?

  • lab setting
  • frustrated participants gave confederates electric shocks
  • however the number of shocks given was dependent on whether there was a weapon present or not
  • with no weapon, the mean number of shocks was 4.5 whereas with a gun it was 6
  • so aggression more likely if there are aggressive cues in the environment
  • RWA (does carrying a gun in the USA increase the likelihood of aggression and enable it)