Effects of Frustration and Aggression on Physiological Arousal Level in Depressed Subjects

Abstract

Sixteen depressed psychiatric inpatients were tested in a 2 × 2 repeated factorial design involving 2 frustration or no-frustration experiences followed by counterbalanced opportunities to aggress and not aggress physically against the frustrator. Primary dependent measures were heart rate and systolic blood pressure, the critical measures being taken before and during frustration and following aggression. Results demonstrated that no-frustration is associated with larger increases in mean heart rate and systolic blood pressure than frustration while no aggression is associated with larger decreases in mean heart rate and systolic blood pressure than physical aggression. Results were interpreted in light of previous data obtained on college sophomores.