To validate a verbal measure of aggression, a replication of a study by Hokanson and Burgess (1962b) was conducted. 32 introductory psychology students were frustrated during a timed mental task by the experimenter. Systolic blood-pressure measurements indicated a significant elevation following the frustration. 16 subjects who completed a questionnaire evaluating the experimenter following the frustration were able to reduce vascular elevations to baseline readings. 16 control subjects, who completed a self-evaluation questionnaire instead of the experimenter-evaluation instrument, maintained significantly higher systolic blood-pressures.
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