Microsoft Word Chapter 1 done doc

Evolutionary Perspective : Evolutionary perspective to a great 
extent believes that human aggression is adaptive in nature and 
that aggressive acts help individuals to preserve their genetic 
material. Studies of mate selection among human beings as well as 
aggression among animals have revealed that aggression confers 
many evolutionary advantages among individuals of a given 
species and help them to successfully survive and adapt to their 
environment. 
 
14.2.2 Drive Theories :
 
The Motive to Harm Others : Drive theories suggest that 
aggression originates from external conditions that give rise to the 
motive to harm or injure others. In other words drive theories 
suggest that various external conditions (frustration, physical pain, 
loss of face) serve to arouse a strong motive to engage in harm-
producing behaviour and such aggressive drive, in turn then leads 
to the performance of overt assaults against others. One important 
drive theories of aggression was presented by Dollard et al., called 
as Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis.
Frustration Aggression Hypothesis : This hypothesis was 
proposed by Dollard et. al., (1939), at Yale University. They stated 
that aggression is always a consequence of frustration and that 
frustration always leads to some kind of aggression. In short, it held 
that frustrated people always engage in some type of aggression 
and that all acts of aggression result from some type of frustration.
Critics have objected to both the portions of the frustration 
aggression hypothesis.
• First, it is now clear that frustrated individuals do not always 
respond to thwarting with aggressive thoughts, words or deed.
Rather, they may actually show a wide variety of reactions, 
ranging from resignation and despair on the one hand to 
attempts to overcome the source of their frustration on the 
other. In many cases, it appears that, the most likely reaction to 
powerful frustration is depression not overt acts of aggression 
(Bandura 1973). 

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• Second, all aggression does not result from frustration. People 
aggress for many different reasons and in response to many 
different factors. For example boxers hit and sometimes injure 
their opponents because it is a part of their job to do so, not 
because they are frustrated. Soldiers often attack and kill 
others out of a sense of patriotism or simply because it is their 
duty. Public executioners as well as hired assassin regularly kill 
individuals they do not know simply because they are being paid 
to carry out these actions. Thus, all aggression is not a result of 
frustration. 
Social Psychologists have largely rejected this theory.