Abstract:
One of the oldest scientific theories of human aggression is the frustration-aggression hypothesis, advanced in 1939. Although this theory has received considerable empirical support and is alive and well today, its underlying mechanisms have not been adequately explored. In this article, we examine major findings and concepts from extant psychological research on hostile aggression and offer an integrative conception: aggression is a primordial means for establishing one\'s sense of significance and mattering, thus addressing a fundamental social-psychological need. Our functional portrayal of aggression as a means to significance yields four testable hypotheses: (1) frustration will elicit hostile aggression proportionately to the extent that the frustrated goal serves the individual\'s need for significance, (2) the impulse to aggress in response to significance loss will be enhanced in conditions that limit the individual\'s ability to reflect and engage in extensive information processing (that may bring up alternative, socially condoned means to significance), (3) significance-reducing frustration will elicit hostile aggression unless the impulse to aggress is substituted by a nonaggressive means of significance restoration, (4) apart from significance loss, an opportunity for significance gain can increase the impulse to aggress. These hypotheses are supported by extant data as well as novel research findings in real-world contexts. They have important implications for understanding human aggression and the conditions under which it is likely to be manifested and reduced.
摘要:
关于人类侵略的最古老的科学理论之一是挫折侵略假说,1939年先进。尽管这一理论得到了相当多的经验支持,并且在今天还活着,其基本机制尚未得到充分探索。在这篇文章中,我们研究了现存的关于敌对侵略的心理学研究的主要发现和概念,并提供了一个综合的概念:侵略是建立一个人的意义和重要感的原始手段,从而解决了基本的社会心理需求。我们将侵略作为重要手段的功能描述产生了四个可检验的假设:(1)挫败感将在受挫目标服务于个人对重要性的需求的程度上成比例地引发敌对侵略,(2)在限制个人反映和进行广泛信息处理的能力的条件下(这可能会带来替代,社会宽恕的意义手段),(3)降低重要性的挫败感会引起敌对的侵略,除非攻击的冲动被非侵略性的重要性恢复手段所取代,(4)除显著性损失外,获得重要性的机会可以增加攻击的冲动。这些假设得到了现有数据以及现实世界中新颖的研究结果的支持。它们对于理解人类侵略及其可能表现和减少侵略的条件具有重要意义。