15.2.1

Social Psychological Explanation

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Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

The frustration-aggression hypothesis is a social psychological theory developed by Dollard et al. (1939).

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Frustration-aggression hypothesis

  • It is based on the psychodynamic concept of catharsis.
  • Dollard et al. (1939) argued that when we are prevented from achieving our goals, we respond with anger, hostility, and violence.
  • He further postulates that frustration always leads to aggression and that aggression is always the result of frustration.
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Frustration

  • The hypothesis views aggression as a psychological drive akin to biological drives such as anger; if our attempts to achieve a goal are blocked by some external factor, we experience frustration.
  • This frustration creates an aggressive drive, which leads to aggressive behaviour, such as a violent fantasy, verbal outburst and even physical violence.
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Cathartic

  • This behaviour is cathartic because the aggression created by the frustration is satisfied, thereby reducing the drive and making further aggression less likely.
  • The hypothesis recognises that aggression is not always expressed and directed against the source of frustration, for three reasons:
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Three reasons

  • The cause of our frustration may be abstract
    • E.g. the economic situation or the government.
  • The cause may be too powerful and we risk punishment by aggressing against it
    • E.g. the teacher who gave you a lower grade than you expected.
  • The cause may be unavailable at that time.
    • E.g. perhaps the teacher left before you realised what grade you got.
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Displacement

  • In these situations aggression is then deflected or displaced onto an alternative:
    • One that is not abstract, is weaker and is available.
      • E.g. an inanimate object, pet or a younger sibling.

Green (1968)

The effects of frustration on aggression have been investigated (Green, 1968).

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Green (1968)

  • Green (1968) carried out a study to investigate the effects of frustration on aggression.
  • Male university students were given the task of completing a jigsaw puzzle.
  • Their level of frustration was experimentally manipulated in one of three ways.
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Manipulation of frustration

  • For some participants, the puzzle was impossible to solve.
  • For others they ran out of time because another student in the room (a confederate of the researcher) kept interfering.
  • In the third group, the confederate took to insulting the participant as they failed to solve the puzzle.
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Green (1968) results

  • The next part of the study involved participant giving electric shocks to the confederate when they made a mistake on another task.
    • The insulted party gave the strongest shocks on average.
    • Followed by the interfere group.
    • Then the impossible task participants.
  • All three groups selected more intense shocks then a non-frustrated control group.

Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000)

Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000) studied displaced aggression, a key concept in the frustration aggression hypothesis.

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Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000)

  • Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies of displaced aggression, a key concept in the frustration aggression hypothesis.
  • These studies investigated situations in which aggressive behaviour had to be directed against a target other than the one that caused the frustration.
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Marcus-Newhall et al. (2000) findings

  • The researchers concluded that displaced aggression is a reliable phenomenon because participants who were provoked but unable to retaliate directly against the source of their frustration were significantly more likely to aggress against an innocent party than people who were not provoked.
  • This outcome is predicted by the frustration aggression hypothesis.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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