Aggression: The Frustration Aggression Hypothesis Flashcards
Name the researcher that developed the frustration aggression hypothesis
Dollard et al 1939
Define frustration
the feeling that you get when you are working towards something and there are real or imagined barriers that prevent you achieving your goal
What does being aggressive allow ?
aggression allows the relief of frustration
What is the frustration aggression hypothesis based on the concept of?
the psychodynamic concept of catharsis
The frustration aggression hypothesis states that aggression is a …
biological drive
Why is behaving aggressively considered cathartic ?
because the aggression created by the frustration is satisfied , reducing the drive and making further aggression less likely
Name the 2 factors that increase the likelihood of aggression
proximity to the goal
whether the aggression will remove the barrier that is causing the frustration
Make 3 points about displacement regarding aggression
-aggression isn’t always expressed directly
-particularly if the cause of frustration is abstract , may lead to punishment or is unavailable at the time
-if this is the case , aggression is displaced on to an alternative
Who provides supporting evidence for the frustration aggression hypothesis?
Buss 1963
he examined whether different types of frustration such as task failure and interference with winning money led to aggressive behaviour
-found all types of frustration led to aggression and all led to higher levels than a control group
-these findings suggest there is empirical evidence for the frustration aggression hypothesis , adds validity
Who provides contradictory evidence for the frustration aggression hypothesis?
Bushman 2002
ppts were made angry by confederate criticising and essay and then hit a punch bag whilst thinking about the confederate
they reported feeling more angry and gave more loud blasts of noise to confederate than control group , which suggests doing nothing was more effective at reducing frustration
Give another weakness of the frustration aggression hypothesis as an explanation for aggression
Berkowitz 1989
-developed the Negative Effect Theory which states that aggression can be triggered by any negative feeling , not just frustration and frustration can also lead to a range of responses not just aggression
suggests the frustration aggression hypothesis is incomplete and has limited explanatory power
Give a strength of the frustration aggression hypothesis
+practical applications
understanding that aggression is caused by frustration and aggression can be cathartic can help psychologists design interventions to help people
eg anger rooms , which shows that the hypothesis has real world uses , adds external validity
Discuss a relevant issue and debate regarding the frustration aggression hypothesis
3 points
its very deterministic (psychic determinism) which suggests free will is an illusion and we aren’t able to control our behaviour as its an innate drive
suggests behaving aggressively is not under our own control
