Aggression- Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 1

What does Dollard et al argue?

Answer 1

All aggression is the result of frustration and that frustration will always lead to some form of aggression

Question 2

When does aggression/frustration occur?

Answer 2

When a psychological drive to achieve a goal is obstructed in some way

Question 3

Define catharsis

Answer 3

Emotional release of aggressive thoughts

Question 4

Define displacement

Answer 4

Transferring feelings from the source of frustration onto a substitute target

Question 5

What does frustration lead to an arousal of?

Answer 5

-An aggressive drive
-Leads to aggressive behaviour/ urges

Question 6

When does frustration increase?

Answer 6

When a motivation to achieve a goal is very strong, when we expect gratification and when there is nothing we can do about it

Question 7

Define unjustified aggression

Answer 7

Behaviour that occurs for no apparent reasons

Question 8

Define justified aggression

Answer 8

Behaviour that occurs due to an apparent reason

Question 9

n Give an example of justified situations that cause frustration.

Answer 9

Insulting a person and then them shoving you 10 minutes later
A bus not stopping and displaying an ‘out of service’ sign (Pastore)

Question 10

Give an example of an unjustified situations that cause frustration

Answer 10

Being hurt by somebody you don’t know
A bus not stopping without an explanation

Question 11

Is unjustified or justified aggression more likely to cause frustration?

Answer 11

Unjustified

Question 12

Where does catharsis come from?

Answer 12

Psychodynamic- Freud
(element of defence mechanisms)

Question 13

Why is frustration usually displaced?

Answer 13

-Often impossible/inappropriate to behave aggressively towards the source of frustration (aggression is inhibited)
-Displaced onto someone/something else
-In experience to experience catharsis a scapegoat needs to be found

Question 14

What does Berkowitz argue?

Answer 14

-Frustration does not always lead to aggression
-Frustration is an unpleasant experience which can create a negative effect
-Unanticipated interference is more likely to provoke aggression as it is more unpleasant

Question 15

Why does Dollard argue that aggression is not always expressed directly against the source of frustration of frustration?

Answer 15

-The cause may be abstract such as the economic situation
-Cause may be too powerful and we risk punishment by aggressing against it
-The cause may be unavaliable at the time

Question 16

How did Berkowitz investigate his revised theory?

Answer 16

-Participants were again given the opportunity to shock a confederate who had previously angered them.
-One with an aggressive cue, a gun; one with a non-aggressive cue, a badminton racket; and one with no cue at all
-Participants who were in the presence of the aggressive cue gave higher levels of shocks than the other two groups. 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

Question 17

Give an evaluation point (sports violence)

Answer 17

P- Priks found supporting evidence for the frustration-aggression hypothesis in a study of violent behaviour among Swedish football fans
E- He recorded when teams changed positions in the league and how many objects were thrown onto the pitch as a result, this was used as a measure of aggression
E- If the team performed worse than expected, more things were thrown onto the pitch, a 1 position drop a 5% increase in violence, supporters were also more likely to fight with the opposition
L- findings suggest supporters become more aggressive when expectations of a good performance don’t go their way.
Counter-cultural bias- only studied in Sweedon so cannot be generalised to other countries

Question 18

Can an evaluation Point (Not all aggression arises from frustration)

Answer 18

P- Not all aggression arises from frustration
E- Berkowitz argues that frustration is just one of the feelings that can lead to unpleasant experiences which can create a negative effect
E- Investigated this theory by carrying out a lab experiment where participants were given the opportunity to shock a Confederate that had previously angered them
Participants who were in the presence of the aggressive cue tended to give higher voltage shocks
L- Links to the gun control debate in America, if the presence of guns is more likely to result in aggression why are they so easily accessible, this ‘weapons effect have far-reaching implications
Counter- However lab experiments lack ecological value

Question 19

Give an evaluation point ( reductionist)

Answer 19

P Reductionsit
E- The frustration aggression hypothesis does not take into account other influences in aggression such as biological
E- For example, serotonin inhibits the amygdala which controls emotional responses such as anger and fear but decreased levels of serotonin remove the inhibitory effect
Testosterone regulates social behaviour and increased levels of these hormones are related to increased levels of aggression.
L- However this argument does not take into account individual differences, everybody will have different levels of these hormones which will impact how quickly/ easily people will become angry/ frustrated or if they react at all (nomothetic approach)

Question 20

Give an evaluation point (Aggression isn’t always cathartic)

Answer 20

P-Bushman (2002) found that particpnats who vented their anger out by repeatdly punching a punch bag actually became more aggressive rather than less
E-Found that doing nothing was more effective at reducing anger
E-Weakness because the outcome of this study is very different from that predicted by the frustration-aggression hpothesis, leads to questions surrounding the valdity of the main assumption