FRUSTRATION AGGRESSION HYPOTHESIS (FAH)

• 1. FRUSTRATION-AGRESSION HYPOTHESIS (FAH)


  proposes that frustration is a psychological drive that can lead to aggression. This was developed by DOLLARD ET AL where they found that it is based on the psychodynamic concept of catharsis. When a goal is blocked by some external factor, which results in frustration. It can create an aggressive drive, which leads to aggressive behaviour eg) violent fantasy, verbal outbursts or psychical violence. This reduces the drive, making aggression less likely.
• FAH FACTORS 


  includes proximity to the goal; the cause of frustration being abstract i.e the government, music industry; the risk of punishment; the cause not being available at the time and also the weapon effect i.e frustration creates readiness to be aggressive, but the presence of aggressive cues makes aggression much more likely.  
• (+) FAH


  AMY MARCUS NEWHALL ET AL =

  conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies of displaced aggression and found that participants who were provoked but unable to retaliate directly against the source of their frustration, were significantly more likely to aggress against an innocent party, than people who were not provoked. This confirms the predicted outcome of the FAH and supports the theory of catharsis in relieving the aggressive tendencies.
• (-) FAH


  Aggression is not an automatic consequence of frustration - This is backed up by BANDURA (1973) who believes that aggression is only one possible response to frustration.   Direct reinforcement or indirect (observing consequences) explains how individuals learn to respond
• (+) FAH 


  BERKOWITZ AND LEPAGE =

  found that when participants were given the chance to give fake electric shocks to a confederate (who had given them real electric shocks), the number of shocks was greater when there were two guns on a table compared to the other condition where there were no guns present.The practical applications of this research shed new light on the gun control debate in America. If the presence of guns is more likely to result in aggression, then this 'weapons effect' could have far reaching implications for gun laws.
• (-) CONTRAST FAH 


  GODAR ET AL =

  ignores nature -  showed that mice who were genetically modified to not produce MAOA were more aggressive. This suggests that because they naturally leaked the enzyme to metabolise serotonin, it led to them having more of this biochemical which increased their aggression levels.