Social psychological explanations: the frustration-aggression hypothesis
The frustration-aggression hypothesis proposes that aggression always results from frustration. Frustration occurs whenever something blocks a person from reaching a goal.
Real World
After England lost the 2022 World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout, a spike in domestic violence calls to UK helplines was recorded that night — illustrating how collective goal-blocking can displace aggression onto nearby targets.
Exam Focus
Evaluate using Berkowitz's revision: frustration produces readiness to aggress, not aggression itself — this distinction is a high-value AO3 point.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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