Social Psychological Explanations for Aggression
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
The role of frustration in aggression
One possible cause of aggression is the frustration we feel when we are prevented from
achieving our goals.
Dollard (1939) was the first psychologist to propose that aggression is caused by
frustration. Drawing on psychodynamic theory, Dollard saw aggression as similar to a
biological drive (e.g. thirst) that inevitably leads to some kind of aggressive response,
such as a verbal outburst or physical violence. Our aggressive drives are triggered by the
frustration we feel when our attempts to achieve a given goal are blocked by some
external factor. Expressing our aggressive urges in the form of aggressive behaviour gives
us a sense of relief or catharsis and reduces the likelihood that further aggression will
occur.
Catharsis: the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed
emotions.
According to frustration-aggression, performing an act of violence makes us feel better
because it lets us get our aggressive urgers ‘off our chest’
The frustration-aggression hypothesis also acknowledges that aggression is not always
directed towards the source of our frustration. Sometimes aggression is displaced onto
another target because the original source of our frustration is:
- Too abstract – if a person loses their job because the global financial market has
crashed, they are unlikely to know who or what is to blame)
- Too powerful – if the cause of our frustration has more power than we have (e.g. a
police officer) we are unlikely to direct our aggression towards the person as we risk
being punished
- Unavailable – not all causes of aggression are available at the time we want to
release or vent our anger. For example, if you arrived home to find that someone has
sprayed graffiti on your house, you will not be able to respond aggressively to that
person because they have already left the scene of the crime
Extending and revising frustration-aggression:
Berkowitz (1989) recognised that we can respond in many different ways to frustration
and that aggression is caused by factors other than frustration. In his reformulated
negative affect theory, he argued that other aversive stimuli such as jealousy,
, loneliness or pain lead to negative feelings, which intern can lead to aggression.
Berkowitz also argued that the outcome of frustration is not only aggression, but rather a
range of responses such as determination, despair, anxiety or helplessness. Thus,
aggression is triggered by negative feelings in general rather than frustration
specifically.
-> frustration is one stimulus amongst others such as loneliness, jealousy and pain
-> this leads to negative feelings
-> this leads to different outcomes – frustration is one possible outcome, but could also be
determination, despair, anxiety etc.
= Berkowitz’ reformulated negative affect theory of aggression
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
There is empirical evidence Geen (1968) prevented This supports the
to support the frustration- participants from frustration-aggression
aggression theory from the completing a jigsaw hypothesis as when the
study by Geen. puzzle (creating goal of completing the
frustration) by either jigsaw puzzle was blocked
making the puzzle in a range of different ways,
impossible, having a participants showed more
confederate interfere with aggression than when their
their performance or telling goal was not blocked.
the confederate to insult
them as they failed the
task. Participants in each of
these frustration groups
delivered stronger electric
shocks to the confederate
compared with the non-
frustrated control group.
Support for the frustration In Marcus-Newhall et al’s This supports the
aggression hypothesis was meta-analysis of 49 frustration-aggression
found by Marcus-Newhall studies, displacement hypothesis because the
et al’s meta-analysis. was found to be a reliable theory predicts that if it is
phenomenon. If not possible or too risky to
participants are provoked direct aggression towards
but are unable to directly the cause of frustration,
retaliate against the source aggression will be
of their frustration, they are displaced towards an
more likely to commit an alternative target.
act of aggression towards
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
The role of frustration in aggression
One possible cause of aggression is the frustration we feel when we are prevented from
achieving our goals.
Dollard (1939) was the first psychologist to propose that aggression is caused by
frustration. Drawing on psychodynamic theory, Dollard saw aggression as similar to a
biological drive (e.g. thirst) that inevitably leads to some kind of aggressive response,
such as a verbal outburst or physical violence. Our aggressive drives are triggered by the
frustration we feel when our attempts to achieve a given goal are blocked by some
external factor. Expressing our aggressive urges in the form of aggressive behaviour gives
us a sense of relief or catharsis and reduces the likelihood that further aggression will
occur.
Catharsis: the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed
emotions.
According to frustration-aggression, performing an act of violence makes us feel better
because it lets us get our aggressive urgers ‘off our chest’
The frustration-aggression hypothesis also acknowledges that aggression is not always
directed towards the source of our frustration. Sometimes aggression is displaced onto
another target because the original source of our frustration is:
- Too abstract – if a person loses their job because the global financial market has
crashed, they are unlikely to know who or what is to blame)
- Too powerful – if the cause of our frustration has more power than we have (e.g. a
police officer) we are unlikely to direct our aggression towards the person as we risk
being punished
- Unavailable – not all causes of aggression are available at the time we want to
release or vent our anger. For example, if you arrived home to find that someone has
sprayed graffiti on your house, you will not be able to respond aggressively to that
person because they have already left the scene of the crime
Extending and revising frustration-aggression:
Berkowitz (1989) recognised that we can respond in many different ways to frustration
and that aggression is caused by factors other than frustration. In his reformulated
negative affect theory, he argued that other aversive stimuli such as jealousy,
, loneliness or pain lead to negative feelings, which intern can lead to aggression.
Berkowitz also argued that the outcome of frustration is not only aggression, but rather a
range of responses such as determination, despair, anxiety or helplessness. Thus,
aggression is triggered by negative feelings in general rather than frustration
specifically.
-> frustration is one stimulus amongst others such as loneliness, jealousy and pain
-> this leads to negative feelings
-> this leads to different outcomes – frustration is one possible outcome, but could also be
determination, despair, anxiety etc.
= Berkowitz’ reformulated negative affect theory of aggression
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
There is empirical evidence Geen (1968) prevented This supports the
to support the frustration- participants from frustration-aggression
aggression theory from the completing a jigsaw hypothesis as when the
study by Geen. puzzle (creating goal of completing the
frustration) by either jigsaw puzzle was blocked
making the puzzle in a range of different ways,
impossible, having a participants showed more
confederate interfere with aggression than when their
their performance or telling goal was not blocked.
the confederate to insult
them as they failed the
task. Participants in each of
these frustration groups
delivered stronger electric
shocks to the confederate
compared with the non-
frustrated control group.
Support for the frustration In Marcus-Newhall et al’s This supports the
aggression hypothesis was meta-analysis of 49 frustration-aggression
found by Marcus-Newhall studies, displacement hypothesis because the
et al’s meta-analysis. was found to be a reliable theory predicts that if it is
phenomenon. If not possible or too risky to
participants are provoked direct aggression towards
but are unable to directly the cause of frustration,
retaliate against the source aggression will be
of their frustration, they are displaced towards an
more likely to commit an alternative target.
act of aggression towards
