frustration aggression hypothesis Flashcards
what are social psychological explanations?
Any theory that argues aggression is the result of an interaction between an individual’s characteristics and features of the situations in which behaviour occurs.
what is catharsis?
If achieving a goal is blocked by an external factor we become frustrated. This creates an aggressive drive, which causes us to behave aggressive
Behaving aggressively is cathartic because it satisfies the aggression that frustration has created
what is the frustration- aggression hypothesis?
Dollard et al first formulated the frustration-aggression hypothesis in 1939: ‘Frustration always leads to aggression, aggression is always as a result of frustration’.
what was Geen’s research into the effects of frustration on aggression?
Male uni students were given a task to complete a jigsaw puzzle. Level of frustration was controlled. E.g given a short time due to confederate interrupting them or very difficult jigsaw or they were insulated when failed to complete jigsaw. Findings : the insulted participants gave the strongest shock on average then the interfered group. Compared to control group.
what was Berkowitz’s research into environmental cues?
Students were given electric shocks in lab conditions by confederates creating anger and frustration. Participants then had the opportunity to shock the confederate in return when 2 guns were on a table next to the shock machine, an average number of 6.07 shocks given. When no guns were present the average was 4.67
evaluation: strength
Marcus-Newhall meta analysis = research support
Marcus-Newhall et al. conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies of displaced aggression concluded that displaced aggression is a reliable phenomenon as participants who were provoked but unable to retaliate directly against the source of the frustration were significantly more likely to show aggression towards an innocent party.
how does Marcus Newhall meta analysis predict the frustration aggression hypothesis?
This is exactly the outcome that would have been predicted by the frustration-aggression hypothesis which states that aggression will be deflected or displaced onto an alternative if unable to be expressed to the source.
lends validity to the psychodynamic elements of the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
evaluation: strength
explain sport violence
Priks used football teams’ position in the league as a measure of frustration and the number of objects thrown as a measure of aggression. The study showed that when a team performed worse than their fans expected, the supporters threw more objects onto the pitch and were also more likely to fight with opposition supporters.
what does research into using the frustration aggression hypothesis to explain sport violence show?
This shows that when a football team plays badly it can cause an increase in violent behaviour from fans making the hypothesis more valid.
supporters become more aggressive when expectations of good performance are frustrated, thus supporting the frustration-aggression hypothesis
evaluation: weakness
research against the basic concept of catharsis
Bushman found that participants who vented their anger using a punch bag actually became more angry and aggressive rather than less so. doing nothing was more effective in reducing anger than venting aggressively.
the study casts a doubt on the validity of the central assumption of the hypothesis: that release of aggression is cathartic and one is then less likely to continue to be angry and aggressive.
evaluation : weakness extend
any real world applications of the theory should be used with caution. For example, it may be inappropriate to advise those in anger management to attempt cathartic release of their aggression, as such venting may actually make them angrier. Such limited application brings into question the credibility of the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
evaluation: limitation
not all frustration leads to aggression and frustration can occur without someone being frustrated
Berkowitz argued that frustration is just one of many stimuli that cause negative feelings; others may be jealousy, pain and loneliness. Aggressive behaviour can be triggered by any of these. Furthermore, the outcome of frustration can be a range of responses (e.g. anxiety, determination, and helplessness) and may not always be aggression.
= hypothesis is reductionist and Inadequate
evaluation : extend
Berkowitz negative affect theory
Berkowitz’s negative affect theory can be argued to be a more holistic explanation of aggression, which takes into account the many varieties of unpleasant experiences that can lead to aggression.
