Social Psychological Explanations of Aggression: Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Question 1

who introduced the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 1

Dollard et al

Question 2

what does frustration-aggression hypothesis say?

Answer 2

• frustration always leads to aggression, and aggression is always the result of frustration

Question 3

what is frustration?

Answer 3

any event/stimulus that prevents an individual from attaining some goal
- when people are prevented from getting something they want

Question 4

what is necessary?

Answer 4

frustration is necessary for aggression

Question 5

what are the psychodynamic links with the frustration-aggression hypothesis? what is catharsis?

Answer 5

• catharsis = emotional release achieved by engaging in aggressive behaviour and thoughts
  1) aggressive behaviour caused by frustration is cathartic, aggression created by frustration is satisfied
  2) reducing aggression drive means further aggression is less likely to happen

Question 6

how does catharsis happen?

Answer 6

• it occurs through displacement if the source is:
  1) abstract (e.g. finances)
  2) too powerful (e.g. boss and you can’t risk the punishment)
  3) not available (leave to avoid punishment or scolding)

Question 7

who investigated the weapon effect?

Answer 7

Berkowitz and Lepage

Question 8

according to who, what is the weapon effect?

Answer 8

• Berkowitz
• frustration creates a readiness for aggression, the presence of aggressive cues in the environment make acting upon the frustration much more likely

Question 9

what did Berkowitz and Lepage do?

Answer 9

• laboratory study
• ppts were angered by a confederate and the confederate would give shocks which created the anger and frustration
• ppts were then seated at a table which had a shotgun or the control condition who had a no weapon (badminton), where they had the opportunity to give shocks to the confederate

Question 10

what did Berkowitz and Lepage find?

Answer 10

• number of shocks was greater when the 2 guns were on the table compared to the conditions with no gun
• average 6.07(gun) and 4.67(no gun)
• weapon effect supports Berkowitz’s contention that presence of aggressive environmental cues stimulates aggression

Question 11

who conducted research on frustration-aggression? and what was the aim?

Answer 11

• Geen carried out a study to investigate how frustration affects aggression

Question 12

what was the procedure of Geen’s research?

Answer 12

-male university students completed a jigsaw puzzle and their level of frustration was manipulated in 3 ways:
1) puzzle was impossible to solve
2) they ran out of time as the confederate kept interfering
3) confederate insulted the ppt as they failed to solve the puzzle
- all ppts then late had a chance to give the confederate electric shocks

Question 13

what were the findings of Geen’s research?

Answer 13

• the insulted ppts gave the strongest shocks on average
• the interfered group gave the 2nd strongest shocks
• the impossible task ppts gave the weakest shocks
• all 3 groups selected gave more intense shocks than the control group (non-frustrated)