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The effects of failure and depression on subsequent aggression
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 1, 1977
Summary
Repeated failure reduces aggression in men. However, prior failure inhibited aggression in depressed men but increased it in nondepressed men, suggesting a link to learned helplessness.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Learned helplessness theory suggests repeated failure can lead to a lack of perceived control.
- Aggression is a complex behavior influenced by environmental factors and individual differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prior failure experiences on subsequent aggressive responses to escalating attack.
- To examine how depression moderates the relationship between failure and aggression.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with male subjects.
- Subjects were randomly assigned to conditions involving success or failure on an initial task.
- Aggressive responses to increasing attack were measured.
Main Results:
- Subjects experiencing prior failure showed smaller increments in aggression compared to those who succeeded.
- Prior failure inhibited aggression in depressed subjects but facilitated it in nondepressed subjects.
Conclusions:
- The findings support learned helplessness theory, indicating that perceived control influences aggressive responses.
- Depression status significantly moderates the effects of failure on aggression.