The theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame is the?

• A. Ingroup Bias
• B. Scapegoat Theory
• C. Frustration-Aggression Principle
• D. Other-Race Effect

Answer: (B)

Prejudice can serve as a vent for anger when the real source of trouble feels distant or difficult to confront. Scapegoat theory shows this by describing how people blame a convenient target—often an outgroup—for their problems, using that blame to release frustration. This provides a simple, tangible explanation for why things feel unfair and lets people justify hostile attitudes or discriminatory actions toward that group. An example is frustration from economic or social stress being redirected toward a minority group, rather than addressing broader structural issues.

While the frustration-aggression principle explains that frustration can lead to aggression, it doesn’t specify the mechanism of directing blame toward a target group as prejudice does. Ingroup bias, meanwhile, focuses on favoring one’s own group rather than blaming another group for problems. The other-race effect is about difficulty recognizing faces across races and isn’t about anger or blame.