EFFECTS OF FRUSTRATION JUSTIFICATION ON HOSTILE AGGRESSION

The present study tested Berkowitz' [1989: Psychological Bulletin 106: 59-73] reformulation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis which st ates that any negative or aversive stimulus such as frustration, even if justified, will result in some measurable tendency to aggress. Part icipants' attainment of an expected gratification was either blocked i n an unjustified manner, blocked in a justified manner, or not blocked at all. Degree of hostile aggression directed at the frustrating indi vidual was measured. As predicted, justified frustration produced less hostile aggression than unjustified frustration, but even justified f rustration produced more hostile aggression than no frustration at all . Results support Berkowitz' frustration-aggression reformulation. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.