Aggression : Frustration Aggression Hypothesis

Question 1

What is frustration?

Answer 1

Occurs when our attempt to achieve a goal is blocked by an external factor

Question 2

What is an aggressive drive?

Answer 2

A desire for aggression created by frustration, which leads to aggressive behaviours such as…
- Violent fantasies
- Verbal outbursts
- Physical violence

Question 3

What is Dollard et al (1939)’s Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis?

Answer 3

“Frustration always leads to aggression, and aggression is always the result of frustration”

based on the psychodynamic concept of catharsis where Freud believed the drive for aggression was innate and the only way to reduce it is to engage in an activity that releases it. If the attempt to achieve any goal is blocked, frustration is experienced which creates an aggressive drive, leading to aggressive behaviour. This is cathartic as the aggression created by frustration is satisfied and reduces the drive and makes further aggression less likely. We feel better for “getting it off our chest

Question 4

Why is aggression not always directly expressed?

Answer 4

• Cause of frustration may be abstract (economic situation etc.)
• Cause may be too powerful and risks punishment by aggressions against it
• Cause may be unavailable at the time

Question 5

Where does indirect aggression go?

Answer 5

displaced onto an alternative that is not abstract, is weaker and is available

Question 6

What are ego defence mechanisms?

Answer 6

Proposed but the psychodynamic theory, that they protect ourselves. They are…

Sublimation – using aggression in acceptable activities (eg: sport)
Displacement – directing aggression outwards onto something or someone else

Question 7

Berkowitz (1969)

Answer 7

Revived frustration-aggression hypothesis: frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression. Aggression would only occur in the presence of certain cues, such as the presence of weapons

Question 8

What are the strengths of the evolutionary theory?

Answer 8

• Supportive evidence from lab studies that induced aggression support the idea that frustration leads to aggression → Green (1968) had Ps complete a puzzle in 2 conditions involving frustration (time-limit too short, impossible to complete), and 1 condition where the source of frustration was available (confed making derogatory remarks). They found that all three groups gave more shocks than a control group who had not experienced any frustration conditions, but the group who had experienced insults from the confederate gave the highest levels of shocks. But, low mundane realism of task compromises ecological validity
• Supportive evidence of displacement → Marcus-Newhall (2000) did a meta analysis of studies of displaced anger, where aggressive behaviour was directed towards a ‘human target’ other than the source of the frustration. Based on findings, they concluded that displaced aggression is a reliable phenomenon: participants were significantly more likely to show aggression to an innocent party, when the source of the aggression was unavailable for retaliation

Question 9

What are the limitations of the evolutionary theory?

Answer 9

• Evidence that frustration may only create a readiness for anger, which is then dependent of environmental cues to trigger aggression → Berkowitz & Page (1967) demonstrated that after confed had given subjects real electric shocks, the number of electric shocks subjects gave to the confed increased when there were 2 guns on a table, vs to other conditions (a mean of 6.07 vs 4.67 shocks). The researchers refer to this as a ‘weapon effect’, that the presence of environmental cues can stimulate aggression
• (Of displacement of aggression is cathartic) is that there is evidence to show that this is not an effective strategy to relieve frustration → Bushman (2002) found that Ps who vented their anger by repeatedly hitting a punchbag actually became more angry and aggressive. Bushman says that venting to reduce anger is like using petrol to put out a fire, and that if venting is perceived as effective, subjects are likely to become more aggressive. Research that contradicts catharsis theory suggests that it may encourage rumination, as participants dwell on the sources of their frustration, heightening their emotional responses instead of diffusing them
• link between frustration and aggression proposed by Dollard may apply only in certain circumstances, and that the link is to negative affect more generally → Berkowitz (1989) reformulated the frustration-aggression hypothesis to become ‘negative affect theory’: frustration is one of many aversive stimuli (eg loneliness, jealousy and pain) that create negative feelings generally, which may lead to responses which include aggression, withdrawal, anxiety, guilt or depression. This suggests that frustration does not automatically lead to aggression, that aggression can occur in the absence of frustration, and that frustration can lead to many outcomes.