Social Psychological Explanations of Aggression

Social psychological explanations of aggression focus on how social interactions, learning, and situational factors influence aggressive behaviour. Unlike biological and evolutionary explanations, social approaches emphasise that aggression is largely learned and shaped by the social environment. This lesson examines the frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory, and deindividuation as explanations of aggression.

Key Definition: Social psychological explanations of aggression propose that aggressive behaviour is primarily learned through social experience — including observation, reinforcement, and social norms — rather than being solely determined by biology or evolution.

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The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Dollard et al. (1939) — The Original Hypothesis

Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, and Sears (1939) proposed the frustration-aggression hypothesis, which made two bold claims:

1. Frustration always leads to some form of aggression
2. Aggression is always the result of frustration

Key Definition: Frustration occurs when an individual is prevented from reaching a desired goal. The frustration-aggression hypothesis proposes that this blocked goal-directed behaviour inevitably generates an aggressive drive.