Social Psychological explanations - Frustration aggression

Question 1

What is frustration aggression ?

Dollard/Miller

Answer 1

Aggression is always caused by frustration
It happens when we try to achieve a goal and it is blocked.

Question 2

What approach is used to explain frustration aggression ?

Explain

Answer 2

Psychodynamic concepts.

Frustration is an unpleasant feeling it is a build up of mental tension. We either calm down or become aggressive.

Aggressive acts relieve the frustration through the psychodynamic process of (Catharsis) which is a pleasant feeling after releasing a strong emotion.

Question 3

What other psychodynamic concept is used to explain frustration aggression.

Answer 3

Displacement

Aggression can be displaced if we cannot release it at the cause of our frustration.

It may not be available or we may be punished for showing aggressive behaviour.

We may move our aggression onto a weaker target (pet/family).

Question 4

What factors can cause aggression to actually occur.

Answer 4

Proximity - How close we are to achieving a goal.

If aggression is likely to remove the barrier to our goal.

Question 5

What is a SLT concept to explain aggression

Vicarious reinforcement/Negative reinforcement.

Answer 5

Aggression will happen if we know from experience it will lead to a reward (Achieving the goal).

Less likely to happen if we know we will be punished for it. (Negative reinforcement).

If it is rewarded we are more likely to be aggressive in the future.

Question 6

Explain research on frustration aggression

(Geen) - Puzzle task

Answer 6

1. Got participants to do a task of completing a Jigsaw puzzle
2. In both groups there was a confederate in one they interfered in other they verbally attacked the intelligence of genuine ppts.
3. G1 = Interfered meaning could not complete puzzle. - Frustration
   G2 = Completed but had intelligence verbally attacked after.
   G3 = Control group confederates did not interfere or insult.
4. Second task was to shock the confederates both groups did more shocks than the control group.
5. The frustrated group did attack the intervening confederate. But the verbally attacked group did more shocks.
6. This suggests that frustration is a factor in aggression but there may be other processes like anger felt after a personal attack.

Question 7

What a problems with the study?

Answer 7

Demand characteristics

Lab experiment - Low external/ecological validity.

Confounding variables - personal traits

Question 8

Research support - Harris - Pushing in line

Support for proximity to the goal

Answer 8

1. Got confederates to push in to real lines.
2. Either from the front or back and measure level of aggression.
3. Those at the front of the line were more aggressive.

This suggests frustration can lead to aggression and is more intense the closer you are to a goal.

(More valid as its a field experiment).

Question 9

Problem with FA hypothesis

Answer 9

Cannot explain why some people are more able to resist becoming aggressive when frustrated.

Cannot explain why some people become aggressive without being frustrated. - Serial killers - Wars = calculated aggression.

Aggressive people tend to repeat it so it may not be cathartic but just lead to more aggression.