The principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression

The principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression

• A. Just-World Phenomenon
• B. Scapegoat Theory
• C. Other-Race Effect
• D. Frustration-Aggression Principle

Answer: (D)

When a goal is blocked, the resulting frustration tends to raise arousal and anger, which can spill over into aggressive behavior. This direct link is captured by the Frustration-Aggression Principle: blocking progress increases the likelihood of aggression, especially when the blocker feels controllable or unjust. The aggression might target the source of frustration or be redirected to a safer target if the original target isn’t accessible, reflecting how frustration can translate into hostile acts under the right conditions. Other terms don’t describe this specific connection: the Just-World Phenomenon is about believing people get what they deserve, not about how blocked goals trigger aggression; the Scapegoat Theory centers on blaming a convenient target for broader problems; the Other-Race Effect is a perceptual bias in face recognition.

When a goal is blocked, the resulting frustration tends to raise arousal and anger, which can spill over into aggressive behavior. This direct link is captured by the Frustration-Aggression Principle: blocking progress increases the likelihood of aggression, especially when the blocker feels controllable or unjust. The aggression might target the source of frustration or be redirected to a safer target if the original target isn’t accessible, reflecting how frustration can translate into hostile acts under the right conditions. Other terms don’t describe this specific connection: the Just-World Phenomenon is about believing people get what they deserve, not about how blocked goals trigger aggression; the Scapegoat Theory centers on blaming a convenient target for broader problems; the Other-Race Effect is a perceptual bias in face recognition.