Authors:

YU, R., MOBBS, D. & CALDER, A.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2009

CBU number:

7093

Abstract:

Mammalian studies show that frustration is experienced when goal-directed activity is thwarted or blocked. It is well known that frustration is an antecedent to aggression, yet the laws governing frustration are still not well understood. We tested a theory that the greater the motivation to reach the goal, the stronger the experienced frustration if the goal is not reached. In Experiment 1, using a 4 trial reward schedule task, we demonstrated that as the reward became proximal, participants responded faster, suggesting that their motivation increased as the reward proximity decreased. As participants approached the reward, their self-reported frustration increased after they failed to acquire the reward. We further demonstrate that responses direct following reward blocking showed that the applied force to the pressure-sensitive buttons increased with the enhanced self-reported frustration. In Experiment 2, using a multi trial reward schedule task, we further demonstrated that experienced frustration and applied forces following missed reward increase as a function of proximity after controlling for the efforts participants have devoted. We propose that frustration may serve an energizing function which translates the unfulfilled motivation into the vigor of subsequent behavior. Thus, blockage of proximal reward leads to enhanced frustration, which induces aggressive-like behavior.