Aggression L6 Social Psychological Explanation - Frustration Aggression Hypothesis

Question 1

What do Social Psychological Explanations for Aggression suggest?

Answer 1

Idea that aggression is the result of an interaction between an individuals characteristics and features of the situation in which the behaviour occurs

Question 2

Who put forward the Frustration-Aggression (F-A) Hypothesis and what was it based on?

Answer 2

• Dollard et al
• Based on the psychodynamic explanation of catharsis where aggression is thought to be innate, the only way to reduce aggression is to engage in an activity that releases it

Question 3

How does frustration lead to aggression?

Answer 3

• Frustration is built up and aggression is the cathartic release of this frustration
• This is because the individual is prevented from achieving a goal by some external factor and this leads to frustration which will lead to aggression

Question 4

Why does the F-A Hypothesis suggest we do not always express aggression directly against the source?

Answer 4

1. Cause of frustration may be abstract, e.g the government or economy
2. Cause may be too powerful and cause punishment, e.g aggression towards teachers could lead to punishment
3. Cause may be unavailable at the time, e.g teacher leaves the room before you can be aggressive

Question 5

What defence mechanisms does Psychodynamic Theory suggest we use to protect ourselves during acts of aggression?

Answer 5

1. Sublimation - Using aggression in acceptable activities, e.g sport
2. Displacement, Directing our aggression onto something or someone else

Question 6

What are Strengths of the F-A Hypothesis? (2)

Answer 6

• Revising the hypothesis and developing it further
• Jigsaw Lab Experiment

Question 7

Revising the hypothesis and developing it further (+)

Answer 7

• Berkowitz argued frustration does not always lead to aggression but aggression only occurs with certain cues
• Cues such as weapons would trigger aggression, not frustration alone

Question 8

Jigsaw Lab Experiment (+)

Answer 8

• Made male undergrad students complete a jigsaw puzzle, he gave them three frustration conditions; an impossible time limit, an impossible jigsaw and a confederate who issued derogatory remarks to the other students as they failed
• They then had an opportunity to shock the confederate and the condition where they were being insulted issued the highest number of shocks
• All three frustration conditions gave more shocks than the control group who did not experience any frustration, supporting the F-A Hypothesis

Question 9

What are Weaknesses of the F-A Hypothesis? (2)

Answer 9

• Issues of Ecological Validity
• Does not factor individual differences

Question 10

Issues of Ecological Validity (-)

Answer 10

• Main research has come from laboratory experiments, causing concern of ecological validity
• Whether participants would allow their frustration lead to aggression in a real life setting is questionable as they may think more carefully about consequences in the real world, e.g prison

Question 11

Does not factor individual differences (-)

Answer 11

• Research has shown that there is not a simple link that frustration will lead to aggression and there is nothing ‘automatic’ about the two
• Some people feel helpless or determined when they are frustrated, some people only act aggressively cause of other factors, e.g MAOA-L Gene
• This shows how the hypothesis has not accounted for individual differences like a persons own nature and biology