social psychological explanation: frustration-aggression hypothesis AO3

Question 1

evaluation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis - role of catharsis (limitation)

Answer 1

• research showing that aggression may not be cathartic
• bushman found that participants who vented their anger by repeatedly hitting a punchbag actually became more angry and aggressive rather than less. doing nothing was more effective at reducing aggression than venting anger.
• the outcome of this study is very different from that predicted by the frustration-aggression hypothesis
• this shows that a central assumption of the frustration aggression hypothesis may not be valid

Question 2

evaluation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis - frustration-aggression link (limitation)

Answer 2

• the link between frustration and aggression is complex
• research into the frustration-aggression hypothesis found that frustration does not always lead to aggression and that aggression can occur without frustration.
• someone who feels frustrated may behave in a range of different ways. rather than being aggressive, they may be helpless or determined. likewise, someone who behaves aggressively may do so for many reasons
• this suggests that the frustration-aggression hypothesis is inadequate because it only explains how aggression arises in some situations but not in others

Question 3

evaluation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis - frustration-aggression link (counterpoint)

Answer 3

• however, the hypothesis was reformulated to take account of this criticism.
• berkowitz’s negative affect theory argued that frustration is just one of many aversive stimuli that create negative feelings; others include jealousy, pain and loneliness. aggressive behaviour is triggered by these negative feelings generally rather than by frustration specifically.
• therefore, frustration (negative feelings) can form part of a wider explanation of what causes aggression