social psychological explanations, frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 1

Dollard claimed

Answer 1

all aggression was the result of frustration

Question 2

frustration

Answer 2

when prevented from getting something you want
causes aggressive drive= aggressive behavior
verbal/physical violence= cathartic satisfies frustration
reduces aggression=less likely
better getting it ‘of our chests’

Question 3

3 reasons aggression isn’t always directly against the source

Answer 3

cause is abstract e.g government
too powerful & risk punishment e.g at teacher
unavailable at the time

Question 4

displaced

Answer 4

displaced or defected onto alternative, not abstract, weaker & available
e.g shout at younger sibling/pet
to feel catharsis a scapegoat needed to express frustration

Question 5

importance of environmental cues
Berkowitz

Answer 5

berkowitz= frustration causes readiness for agression with aggressive cues makes more likely

Question 6

Berkowitz & LePage’s study

Answer 6

student Pp given electric shocks in labatory= creates anger and frustration
gave shocks= confederate
Pp then could give electric shocks to confederate
number of shocks given depended on presence/absence of weapons in the lab:
condition 1: 2 guns on the table, average number of shocks= 6.07
condition 2: no guns, number=4.67 (significantly less)
=aggressive environmental cues stimulates aggression
‘the finger pulls the trigger but the trigger may also be pulling the trigger

Question 7

EVALUATION
evidence to support scapegoating/catharsis
Marcus-Newhall et al

Answer 7

meta analysis 49 studies of displaced aggression=reliable
Pp who were provoked but unable to retaliate were significantly more likely to be aggressive towards innocent than not provoked
same outcome predicted by frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 8

real world application
Priks

Answer 8

supportive evidence study of violent behaviour
Swedish football fans
teams changed position in the league as a measure of frustration and number of objects thrown
when team did worse fans threw more onto the pitch
supporter= more aggressive when expectations of good performance are frustrated

Question 9

Lack of research evidence to support central claims

Answer 9

early critics= catharsis not makes further aggression less likely
Bushman= Pp who vented anger by repeatedly hitting a punchbag became more angry & aggressive not less
doing nothing was more effective at reducing
reduces validity of hypothesis

Question 10

not all aggression comes from frustration

Answer 10

one of other triggers: pain, extreme temperatures
e.g baseball games in the US found increasing temperatures increased display of aggression behaviour towards batters, balls thrown at 90mph at baters head
some support for revised frustration hypothesis suggests unpleasant experience causes negative feelings
extreme temperatures=stimuli for anger increases aggression

Question 11

frustration aggression hypothesis used in real life social issues

Answer 11

Berkowitz argues environmental cues stimulates aggression discussed in gun control debate
some states allow ‘open carry’= gun not have to be concealed
presence of gun=more aggressive behaviour=concern
so guns should at least be concealed and not easily accessible