F-A hypothesis

• What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

  •Dollard (1939)suggested that frustration always leads to aggression,which is always the product of frustration - this is called aconverse argument.•The researchers suggested that frustration was apsychological drive,similar to the biological drive of hunger or thirst, which when satisfied results in drive reduction and a restored ‘balance’ to that individual.
• what is the f-a hypothesis based on?

  •the psychodynamic concept ofcatharsis, and views aggression as apsychological driveakin to biological drives such as hunger or thirst.•If our attempt to achieve a goal isblocked by some external factor, we experiencefrustration.•This creates anaggressive drive, which leads toaggressive behaviour, such as violent fantasy, a verbal outburst or perhaps even physical violence.•This iscatharticbecause the aggression created by the frustration is satisfied, therebyreducing the driveand making further aggression less likely – we feel better for having gotten it ‘off our chest’.
• why does this hypothesis suggest aggression is not always expressed directly against the source of aggression?


  •The cause of our frustration may beabstract, such as the economic situation, the government, or the music industry.•The cause may betoo powerfuland we riskpunishmentby aggressing against it e.g. the teacher who gave you a lower grade than you expected.•The cause may beunavailableat the time, for example perhaps the teacher left before you realised what grade you got.
• what happens to the aggression when it is not directly expressed?

  deflected (ordisplaced) onto an alternative – one that is not abstract, is weaker and is available (an inanimate object, a pet, or a younger sibling).
• what was green et als procedure?

  •Male university students were given the task ofcompleting a jigsaw puzzle.•Their level of frustration was experimentally manipulated in one of three ways:•For some participants, the puzzle wasimpossible to solve.•For others, theyran out of timebecausea confederate posing as another student in the room kept interfering.•For a third group, the confederate took toinsulting the participantas they failed to solve the puzzle.•The next part of the study involved theparticipant giving electric shocks to the confederate when they made a mistake on another task.
• what does research by green et al show?

  •The insulted participants gave the stronger shocks on average, followed by the interfered group then the impossible task participants.•All three groups selected more intense shocks than a (non-frustrated)control group.
• what are the role of environmental cues in aggression

  •Even if we become angry, we still might not behave aggressively.According toBerkowitz (1989),frustration merely creates areadiness for aggression.•But thepresence of aggressive cues in the environment make acting upon this much more likely.Thereforecuesare an additional element to the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
• what wasBerkowitz and LePage (1967) procedure?•


  They arranged for student participants to be given electric shocks in a laboratory situation, creating anger and frustration.

  •The individual who gave the shocks was a confederate of the researchers.

  •The participants then had the opportunity to turn the tables and give electric shocks to the confederate.
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  The number of shocks given depended on the presence or absence of weapons in the lab.•In one condition,two gunswere present on a table next to the shock machine – the average number of shocks given in this condition was 6.07.•Whenno gunswere present, the average number of shocks was significantly fewer, at 4.67.
• how does berkowitz research support environmental cues stimulating aggression?

  This so-called weapons effect supports Berkowitz's contention that the presence of aggressive environmental cues stimulates aggression. ('The finger pulls the trigger, but the trigger may also be pulling the finger
• what support is there for the F-A hypothesis in terms of displacement?

  •Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000)conducted ameta-analysis of 49 studiesof displaced aggression (a key part of the frustration-aggression hypothesis). These studies investigated situations in which aggressive behaviour had to bedirected against a target other than the one that caused the frustration.•The researchers concluded that displaced aggression is areliable phenomenon. Participants who wereunable to direct their aggression directly at the sourceof their frustration were significantlymore likely to aggress against innocent peopleat a party (than a control group).
• what research support is there to show is aggression cathartic?

  •Bushman (2002)found that people who vented their anger byrepeatedly punching a bag became angrier. In fact, doing nothing was more effective at reducing aggression.•Bushman goes so far as to argue that using anger to reduce frustration is like using petrol to put out a fire.LIMITATION–Casts doubt on a central assumption of the frustration-aggression hypothesis which reduces its validity.
• what did berkowitz do in his reformation? negative affect theory


  •The frustration-aggression hypothesis was reformulated byBerkowitz (1989)who argued thatfrustration is just one of many aversive stimuli that create negative feelings;others includejealousy, painandloneliness.•So aggressive behaviour is triggered bynegative feelingsgenerally rather than by frustration specifically.•Furthermore, aggression can lead to arange of responses, one of which is aggression e.g. if you get a lower grade that you expected, you might not necessarily behave aggressively but you might feel despair, anxiety, hopelessness or determination.
• why did berkowitz negative affect theory arise?


  because the original frustration-aggression hypothesis was inadequate, as it could only explain how aggression arises in some situation but not in others.
• what support is there that different kinds of frustration have different effects?

  Dill and Anderson-•An experimenter showed participants how to perform apaper-folding task(origami). The experimenter made the demonstration difficult to follow by going too quickly.In theunjustified conditionhe said he had to hurry because his girlfriend was waiting for him and in thejustified condition,he said his boss had told him to finish quickly.•They found that theunjustified condition produced the most aggression(measured in terms of negative judgements of the experimenter). But, more importantly,justified frustrations produced more aggression than the control condition (absence of frustration).
• how is dill and andersons study a limitation?


  This finding shows that some forms of frustration can create more aggression than others- a serious challenge to the validity of the original hypothesis.
• what is the real life application of Berkowitzs ‘


  the trigger can pull the finger’in gun control debate in US. raised concern over open carry guns in states as presence of open weapon acts as a cue to aggression making use more likelySUPPORT–Research into the weapons effect mayreduce gun-related violenceby showing that aggressive cues should be removed from the environment, which may in turn save lives.
• Discuss the frustration-aggression hypothesis as an explanation for human aggression.

  [8 marks]

  Possible content;•Dollard and Millar(1939) stated frustration always results in aggression and aggression is always caused by frustration•Frustration equals blocking of any goal-directed action•Thisleads to tension that can only be relieved by an aggressive act– aggression iscathartic•Focus of aggression isnot always the cause of frustration– aggression can bedisplaced•Likelihood of aggression depends on proximity to goaland the chance aggression will enable the goal to be achieved•Aggression becomes the dominant/most likely response if it has been rewarded in the past•Original theory modified to include role ofsocial/environmental cues, e.g. weapon effect (Berkowitz, 1989).Possible evaluation;•Use of evidence tosupport/contradict the FA hypothesis•Berkowitz’s arguments that aggression results from other factorstoo, e.g. negative mood/feelings•Aggressionmay not be cathartic – might stimulate more intense emotion•Differing effects depending ontype of frustration – justified or unjustified– less aggression with justified frustration•Cannot explain aggressive acts that are cold and calculated•Discussion in the context of bothpsychodynamic theory (aggressive drives/catharsis) and learning theory (effects of past aggressive behaviour).See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!