Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

List 5 of your most common sources of frustration

Frustration

• any event or stimuli
• that prevents an individual from obtaining a particular goal
• and it's reinforcing quality

put simply

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• Preventing people from getting what they want

so......

• Do they fit the definition?
• Do they always lead to aggression?
• Is frustration the only cause of your aggression?

Catharsis

FAH

• Cause and effect relationship
• Catharsis - emotional release of the aggression
• Frustration = Arousal = Aggression
• Aggressive urges are relieved through aggressive behaviours
• This relief is cathartic

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Outline 2

http://wtvr.com/2015/03/23/passengers-attack-bus-driver-while-driving-on-i-...

Doob and Sears 1939

• Created various situations that would provoke frustration these were presented to pps
• pps reported they would be angry

Generate a list of situations

• Justified Frustration
• Unjustified Frustration

Pastore 52

• Distinguished justified and unjustified
• Bus that doesn't stop (unjustified)
• Out of service doesn't stop (justified)
• Justified - much lower levels of anger
• (the act is either just or unjust not the assessment of the aggression)

Outline  3

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• What is going on in the video?
• What is it's relevance

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Kicking the dog effect

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Incomplete Theory

• Frustration not necessary or sufficient for aggression
• Frustration one of many negative emotions / unpleasant experiences that might lead to aggression

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• uncomfortable experiences = negative affect = aggression
• Nature of the unpleasant event is important in determining aggression
• Unanticipated rather than anticipated likely to cause aggression

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Analysis

• Think about the theory
• What might the possible limitations be?
• What might possible applications be?

Aggression is not an automatic consequence

Bandura

• aggression only one possible response
• frustration = arousal
• If then aggression it would be the outcome of learning (conditioning)
• if they have received reinforcement (direct) or seen others reinforced (vicarious)
• An individual learns if aggression is a productive response to the arousal experienced

Lack of Research

Bushman

• Aggression not cathartic
• Aggression = more aggressive thoughts (anger) keeps negative thoughts in the memory
• So will lead to more not less aggression

Not all aggression is from frustration

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Other factors involved

• large number of averse events - pain, heat. noxious stimuli
• Reifman - as temperature increased pitchers displayed more aggression towards batters - more ball thrown at 90 mph at batters head
• This however supports Berkowitz but not Dollard

Mass Shootings

Staub

• mass killings the result of social and economic frustration - scapegoating
• Germans blamed Jews for loss of WW1 and severe economic problems
• Bystanders not responsible but condoned the violence as cleaverly manipulated (Goldhagen)

Sports Violence

Priks (10)

• Support for FAH
• when a team performed worse - than fan expectation
• One position drop = 5% rise in violence
• More likely to fight opposition if team performed worse than expected
• when frustrated by performances below expectation fans more aggressive