Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Question 1

AO1 1st paragraph

Answer 1

-Dollard and Miller
-Aggression a result of frustration which occurs when a person is blocked from achieving a goal.
-The frustration creates an aggressive drive which leads to the displacement (onto something/one) or sublimation (e.g. going on a run)of aggressive behaviour as a way to release the tension. Lead to cathartic responses (release of suppressed emotion to relieve psychological stress, venting)

Question 2

AO1 2nd paragraph

Answer 2

Example —> Green
-Studied male uni students
-Step 1: complete jigsaw. Frustration experimentally manipulated e.g. not enough time, impossible to solve.
-Step 2: Participants give an electric shock to confederate when made a mistake on another task.
-Found groups selected more intense shocks than the non frustrated control group

Question 3

AO3 Opposing Evidence

Answer 3

Bushman
-Aggression may not be cathartic
-Participants who vented anger by repeatedly hitting a punching bag became more angry and aggressive than less.
-Limitation of FAH because found that doing nothing was more effective at reducing aggression and anger

Question 4

AO3 Application

Answer 4

Sports violence
-Priks: SE for FAH, football fans
-Found fans showed more aggressive behaviour to the team, opposition supporters etc when their team performed worse than expected (frustrated)
-Suggests supporters became more aggressive when expectations of good performance are not met
-Supports FAH because they were frustrated due to their teams poor performance resulting in the displacement of aggressive behaviour e.g. violent insults
-CA: Reifman found that temperature increased aggression so not all aggression arises from frustration

Question 5

AO3 Alternative Theory

Answer 5

Berkowitz, revised hypothesis: Negative Affect Theory
-Aggression can also occur in the absence of frustration
-Frustration one of many unpleasant experiences that lead to aggression
-Unpleasant experience creates the ‘negative effect’ in individuals.
-Creates an aggressive cue which when feel/ experience/ released, aggression is created, and not due to frustration specifically