The principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression

• A. Just-World Phenomenon
• B. Scapegoat Theory
• C. Other-Race Effect
• D. Frustration-Aggression Principle

Answer: (D)

When a goal is blocked, the resulting frustration tends to raise arousal and anger, which can spill over into aggressive behavior. This direct link is captured by the Frustration-Aggression Principle: blocking progress increases the likelihood of aggression, especially when the blocker feels controllable or unjust. The aggression might target the source of frustration or be redirected to a safer target if the original target isn’t accessible, reflecting how frustration can translate into hostile acts under the right conditions. Other terms don’t describe this specific connection: the Just-World Phenomenon is about believing people get what they deserve, not about how blocked goals trigger aggression; the Scapegoat Theory centers on blaming a convenient target for broader problems; the Other-Race Effect is a perceptual bias in face recognition.