The Effect of Frustration on Unethical Behavior

Cottington, Laura

The Effect of Frustration on Unethical Behavior

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/41521

Author(s)

Cottington, Laura

Date Issued

April 4, 2016

Abstract

Links between frustration and aggression have been drawn from previous research and have formed theories still widely accepted in psychology today (Dollard et al., 1939). The effects of personality and dispositional factors such as aggression and lack of self-control on criminal behavior have also been researched (Agnew, 1997). However, there is no research exploring the effects of situational frustration directly on unethical or immoral behavior. 36 undergraduates were recruited to participate in the current study, measuring the effects of a frustrating situation on unethical behavior, specifically cheating behaviors. Frustration was manipulated and defined through a dice-rolling game paradigm first implemented by Paul Piff (Piff, 2014). The paradigm was carried out through the design of a computer program, which played an ostensibly random dice game for each participant. The participants played three rounds, as they were informed that the third and final round only would count towards their rewards for participation. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions; in the frustrating condition, participants rolled two rounds exactly the same as the non-frustrating control condition, but in the third and final round, the frustrating group rolled almost half what the non-frustrating group rolled. This “bad” round of rolls, which counted for compensation, was defined as the frustrating factor. The measure of cheating was defined as reporting in the computer program as scoring a higher total in the third round than the participant actually rolled. Results indicate contradictory conclusions. Cheating occurred equal amounts of times between conditions, and the manipulation of frustration was not successful. The understanding of the motivators and influences that impact an individual’s behaviors is imperative for the sustainment of our society. Immoral and unethical choices and behaviors affect society as a whole. Reducing the unethical or criminal behaviors of society will depend on our understanding of the effects of certain emotions, such as frustration.

Major

Psychology

First Reader(s)

Eckstein, Lydia E.