Describe and Evaluate Two Social Psychological Theories of Aggression

1298 Words6 Pages
Describe and evaluate two social psychological theories of aggression Aggression is often described as behaviour that is intended to cause either physical or psychological pain (Aronson ’97). Social psychological theories of aggression suggest that this behaviour arises through an interaction of the individual with situational factors that trigger an aggressive response. These theories include the frustration-aggression hypothesis and cue-arousal theory. The frustration-aggression hypothesis is based on work by Freud and sees aggression as being innate because of the id’s desire for survival. Dollard et al (’39) suggested that aggression is a specific response that individuals make to being frustrated. Frustration is defined as being an unpleasant state which an individual experiences when they attempt to attain a goal and this goal is blocked. This theory proposes that frustration always leads to aggression and that all aggressive behaviour is the result of a form of frustration. Aggression may be expressed directly as an attack on the perceived source or it may be displaced. Displacement occurs when the ego takes out its feeling on a person or object that is not necessarily the initial cause of aggression but is seen as being less threatening. This has been linked to discrimination and prejudice, where people take their aggression out on groups that are less powerful. Evidence to support the frustration- aggression hypothesis comes from a study by Barker, Denbow and Lewin (’41). Groups of children were shown attractive toys for a long time but were not allowed to play with them so they became angry and frustrated. When children were let into the room with the toys they acted aggressively by fighting and deliberately breaking toys. Children that were not made to wait to play with toys played nicely and shared them with each other. This would suggest that
Open Document