5. Frustration-aggression

• Dollard et al (1939) - AO1


  - first formulated the frustration aggression hypothesis.

  - Based on the psychodynamic approach and the ideas of catharsis

  - Views aggression as a psychological drive similar to biological drives like hunger

  - If our attempt to achieve a goal is blocked by external factors - we experience frustration
• Frustration creates an aggressive drive...


  which leads to aggressive behaviour

  - violent fantasy, verbal outburst and physical violence
• Catharsis - AO1


  - The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
• Aggressive behaviour is catharsis in frustration aggression hypothesis - AO1


  - Frustration -aggression hypothesis describes catharsis

  - aggression created by the frustration is satisfied.

  -This reduces the drive and makes further aggression unlikely

  - 'we have gotten things off our chest'.
• Aggression may be expressed indirectly - AO1

  - Frustration aggression hypothesis understands aggression is not always be expressed directly

  - for three reasons
• Three reasons why aggression may also be expressed indirectly - AO1

  - Cause of frustration is abstract - economic situation or the government

  - Cause of frustration is too powerful and lead to a risk of punishment - a teacher who gave you a low grade

  - Cause may be unavailable at the time - the teacher left the room before you realised the grade you got
• Aggression is expressed indirectly by- AO1

  - Aggression is deflected/ displaced onto an alternative.

  - This is often something that is not abstract, is weaker and is available - usually an innate object, pet or younger sibling
• Russel green (1968) - procedure - AO1

  - Male university students

  - Given task of completing jigsaw puzzle

  - Level of frustration experimentally manipulated in one of three ways

  1. for some the puzzle was impossible to solve

  2. others ran out of time because a confederate kept interfering

  3. the confederate began insulting the students as they were unable to figure out the puzzle

  - Later participants giving electric shocks to confederates who caused the mistake in the task
• Russel green (1968) - findings - AO1

  - Insulted participants gave highest level shocks followed by the interfered groups and then those with the impossible task

  - All three selected more intense shocks than control group who were non-frustrated
• Leonard Berkowitz (1989) - AO1


  - Looked at the role of environmental cues

  - Theorised that frustration only creases a readiness for aggression

  - The presence of aggressive environmental cues makes acting upon that aggression more likely

  - This therefore means that cues are an additional element of the frustration aggression hypothesis '- Demonstrated in his study with LePage in 1967
• Berkowitz and Anthony LePage (1967) - Procedure - AO1


  - Arranged for students to be given electric shocks in laboratory situation

  - This created anger and frustration

  - Individual giving shocks was a conferate for the researchers

  - Participants then given the opportunity to flip tables and shock confederate
• Berkowitz and Anthony LePage (1967) - findings


  - Number of shocks given depended on the presence of absence of a weapon on the lab

  - One condition - two guns present next to sock machine

  - Average number of shocks was 6.07

  - No gun's present average number of shocks was 4.67

  - Weapons effect supports Berkowitz idea that presence of aggressive environmental cues stimulate aggression.
• Research support - 😊

  - Marcus-Newhall et al (2000)

  - conducted meta-analysis of 49 studies of displaced aggression (concept within the frustration aggression hypothesis)

  - Investigated situations where aggressive behaviour had been directed against a target other than the one that caused the frustration

  - Concluded that displaced aggression is reliable phenomenon/ idea

  - This is because participants who were provoked but unable to retaliate against the source of heir aggression were significantly more likely to direct their aggression towards an innocent party

  - Exactly outcome predicted by frustration aggression hypothesis
• Is aggression catharsis - AO3

  P - Psychologists have criticised the idea or aggression being an example of catharsis

  E - Bushman (2002) found patient who were able to vent/ let out their anger by repeatedly hitting a punching bag became angrier and more aggressive rather than less

  A - Also, found that doing nothing was more effective at reducing aggression than venting out their anger

  L - This outcome is very different from what is predicted by frustration aggression hypothesis. Doubts the validity of one of the central assumptions within this hypothesis
• Berkowitz's reformulation: negative affect theory - 🙁


  - It is rather clear from research at frustration doesn't always lead aggression and that aggression can occur without frustration

  - After reformulating his hypothesis Berkowitz argued that frustration is only one of the many stimuli that lead to negative feelings

  - Others included jealousy, pain and loneliness

  - This therefore means that aggressive behaviour is triggered generally by negative feeling and not just specifically by frustration

  - Moreover, the outcome when feeling frustrated can have a range of response but only one of aggression

  - Frustration due to a poor grade might not directly lead to aggression but also other feelings like anxiety, determination and helplessness '

  - The negative affect theory was built on the idea that the original frustration aggression hypothesis was inadequate because it can only explain how aggression arises in some situation and not others