Human motor responses to simultaneous aversive stimulation and failure on a valued task

The effects of presentation of an aversive stimulus and simultaneous failur e on a bogus intelligence test upon a subject's aggressive reactions were s tudied. The subject's fist clenching wits used as an indicator of aggressio n. Four conditions, generated by the combinations of two kinds of stimulus delivered to the subjects (aversive or nonaversive) and two outcomes of the task (failure or success), were investigated. 20 female and 20 male studen ts (ages: 17-34 years) were instructed, upon the reception ni an aversive o r nonaversive acoustic signal, to press with the right hand a device that d isplayed a slide. Each slide presented an item from an intelligence test, t o which the subjects were either allowed to answer successfully (success) o r not (failure), Failure increased the subject's autonomic arousal, as meas ured by photoplethysmographic sensors, in ail stimulation conditions, bur o nly the condition with aversive stimulation increased the speed of clenchin g. This was interpreted as indicating subject's tendencies to aggression. T hese results are discussed in relation to the effects of frustration.