social psychological explanations of aggression: frustration- aggression hypothesis

Question 1

explain the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 1

• Formulated by John Dollard
• believed frustration always leads to aggression based on catharsis
• when we experience frustration= violence which is cathartic as it is satisfied and reduces drive, making further aggression less likely

Question 2

explain procedure and findings for research into frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 2

-male uni students asked to complete jigsaw
-levels of frustration manipulated
1. puzzle impossible to solve
2. ran out of time (others interfeared)
3.confederate insulted pp’s after failing
pp’s could then give electric shocks to confederate
-insulted pp’s gave strongest shocks
-lowest was puzzle impossible to solve
-all selected higher shocks that control group

Question 3

evaluate support for research into displaced aggression?

Answer 3

• meta analysis of 49 for displaced aggression
• studies investigated pps who were provoked but couldn’t retaliate against source were likely to be aggressive to innocent who hadn’t caused frustration

Question 4

evaluate weakness for research into displaced aggression?

Answer 4

• aggression isn’t cathartic
• saw that pp’s who vented anger became more angry NOT LESS
• doing nothing was more effective in reducing aggression
• weakness of this hypothesis

Question 5

explain procedure and findings for research into the role of environmental cues?

Answer 5

• frustration creates readiness for aggression but environmental cues allow us to act on frustration
• pp’s given electric shocks in lab study= anger, then pp’s could shock confederates
• number of shocks depended on whether there was a gun present on table
• when 2 guns were present av no. = 7
• no guns present av no.= 5
• weapon effects support aggressive environmental cues= aggression

Question 6

explain a weakness of the concept of aggression in the frustration- aggression hypothesis?

Answer 6

• whole theory depends on aggression being the cause of frustration
• Berkowitz argued frustration is one of many stimuli, and outcome isn’t always aggression
• if someone gets a low grade frustration can lead to anxiety
• this is a better explanation of frustration

Question 7

what does the frustration-aggression hypothesis believe about how aggression is not always expressed (displacement)?

Answer 7

• not always expressed directly against the source of frustration
  
  1. cause of frustration may be abstract. eg, economic situation
  2. the cause may be too powerful and we may risk punishment
  3. the cause may be unavailable at the time
• as a result our aggression is deflected onto an alternative, maybe a weaker person that may not retaliate