Program & Abstract Book - EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009

EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009: Understanding Violence
P-42
96
February 11-13 2009
bl o c k e D r e w a r D t r a n s l a t e s i n t o e n h a n c e D
f r u s t r a t i o n a n D r e s p o n s e f o r c e
Rongjun, Yu 1 ; Dean, Mobbs 1 ; Andrew, Calder 1
1 Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15
Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF, UK
Mammalian studies show that frustration is experienced when goal-directed
activity is thwarted or blocked (Amsel et al., 1952). It is well known
that frustration is an antecedent to aggression (Dollard et al., 1939),
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 blocked. In Experiment
1, using a 4 trial reward schedule, 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.