Social-psychological Theories

Question 1

Define Frustration aggression hyp

Answer 1

Theory that argues aggression is always the outcome of frustration (when prevented from achieving goals)

Question 2

A01 key points

Answer 2

-frustration aggression hypothesis
-catharsis
-The weapon effect

Question 3

Issues with biological explanations?

Answer 3

-don’t get to root of peoples experiences of agg
-social psychological can address way someone experiences agg

Question 4

What are the 3 social psychological explanations of agg?

Answer 4

1. Frustration agg hyp
2. Social learning theory of agg
3. De-individualisation + agg

Question 5

Who came up with the fus agg hyp

Answer 5

Dollard (1939)

Question 6

What is the fuse agg hyp?

Answer 6

-States that frustration always leads to agg which is a result of of frustration

• agg is a psychological drive to biological drives such as hunger

-we experience this fuss when we out attempts to achieve a goal is blocked by an external factor which creates an agg drive

Question 7

Why does aggression occur? (Key term that removes negative emotion?)

Answer 7

• the aggressive drive create =ed leads to agg behaviour/thoughts causing individual to displace anger onto friend/something else
  -this removes the negative emotion - catharsis
  -the agg created is satisfies reducing drive and making further agg less likely = feel better

Question 8

3 reasons why agg is not always expressed directly against serve of frustration?

Answer 8

1. Cause abstract ( economic situation/government)
2. Cause too powerful (risk punishment by aggressing against it) teacher gives bad grade but may get onto trouble if agg
3. Cause may be unavailable ( no opp to be angry, person leaves room)

Question 9

Frustration may be taken out on…

Answer 9

Someone weaker or younger that sees vulnerable and available

Question 10

Weapon effect

Answer 10

• even if we become angry we might not behave aggressively
  -Berkowitz says frustration merely creates a readiness for agg
  -presence of agg cues r an element of hyp

Question 11

Weapon effect lab study

Answer 11

• ppts were given real electric shocks by confed creating anger + frus
  -the no. Of shocks were greater when there were two guns on a stable compared to other conditions when there were no guns
  -suggests role of cues/presence of enviromental cues stimulates agg

Question 12

Russell green study

Answer 12

-uni students (men) completed a jigsaw puzzle += level of frustration was manipulated
-group 1 - puzzle = impossible to solve
-group 2 - ran out of time as confederate kept interfering
-group 3 - 3rd group,, confederate insulted ppts as failed to solve puzzle

All ppts later had opp to give confederates shocks
3rd group were more likely to give more shocks due to environmental cue (insults)

Question 13

Limitation of frus agg hyp

Answer 13

-May not be cathartic
-bushman found ppts who vented anger by hitting punch bags actually became more aggressive
-doing nothing was more affective at reducing agg
-he says venting = petrol to put put fire
-suggest fus hyp not valid

Question 14

Strength of ra for a key concept of fus agg hyp

Answer 14

Newhall conducted meta analysis of 49 studies of displaced agg
Agg beh directed against human target
R’s concluded that displaced agg is a reliable phenomenon more agg towards innocent people
Shows frus can lead to agg against weaker target

Question 15

Lim of frus agg hyp

Answer 15

-Link between fus + agg = complex
-Not clear weather fus causes agg +agg does concur without frus. Frus doesn’t always mean agg
-nothing about link between 2
-suggest frus hyp agg = inadequate as explains how agg arises in some sits but not all

Question 16

Lim of frus hyp agg (other examples)

Answer 16

From an evolutionary perspective agg isn’t caused by frus
-ev implies adaptions +bio aspect
-frus hyp disregards