Revision:Berkowitz's Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

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The Original Frustration Aggression Hypothesis

The original hypothesis was formulated by Dollard et Al (1939), who argued that

"the occurrence of aggression presupposes frustration [...] Frustration produces instigations to a number of different types of responses, one of which is an instigation to some form of aggression."

There was some evidence supporting this hypothesis. Doob and Sears (1939) reported that when participants were asked to imagine frustrating and non-frustrating situations, they generally felt angry in the frustrating situations.

This hypothesis was attacked because it failed to account for justified and unjustified frustration. When Doob and Sear's experiments were redone with justified frustration, then anger decreased significantly.

Other critics pointed to environmental cues to aggression, such as Berkowitz's aggression effect. When participants were electrocuting each other, the presence of a weapon, a symbol associated with aggression and violence, the levels of electrocution increased.

Berkowitz's Reformulation of the Frustration Aggression Hypothesis

Given these criticisms, Berkowitz reformulated the theory.

Berkowitz's "behaviourist/neo-associationist" position argues that aggression is a more general example of the relationship between unpleasant stimuli and negative affect. Negative affect is simply unpleasant emotions and feelings, such as anxiety, anger, annoyance, or pain. This negative affect can trigger either "fight or flight", as well as a set of associated thoughts and reactions related to such experiences.

Whether fight or flight occurs depends on a number of factors. These can include:

• How the individual examines and controls their feelings
• How the individual analyses the situation

In some instances, this process of deliberation may be rather short or may be avoided altogether.

There is a variety of evidence that supports Berkowizt's theory. People have often been seen to attack a target even if they know that attacking a target can not remove the negative affect - for example, when a motorist attacks his/her car out of frustration.

Criticism of Berkowitz's model

The frustration-aggression hypothesis represents an advance over ethological approach to aggression. It acknowledges a wide variety of aggressive cues and responses.

Some psychologists have argued that we need to understand the meaning of aggressive acts for the individual carrying them out. These theorists often see aggression as a calculated, utility maximising act exacted so as to gain calculated benefits. These theories may perhaps help to explain the wide variety of motivational influences that can lead to aggression.

Some psychologists say that the frustration-aggression hypothesis is oversimplified. Aggression is much more likely to occur in response to unjustified rather than justified aggression. Aggression is not always caused by frustration, as the prevalence of aggression in war demonstrates.

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