An investigation of the relationship between frustration-aggression patterns and intelligence as shown by two racial groups

Frustration and intelligence variables are important concepts in clinical and academic psychology. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between intelligence and frustration-aggression patterns in a sample of northern Negro and white high school students. The instrument used for obtaining frustration-aggression patterns was the adult form of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study. The test for obtaining measures of intelligence was the Otis Quick-Scoring Test of Mentel Ability, Gazma, Form E. Means for each of the Picture-Frustration Study scoring factors were obtained and tested for correlation. The group was then subdivided into high, low and middle intelligence to determine the significance of the differences in aggressive reactions at each level of intelligence. The two tests were administered to 275 students in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, high school; 108 white boys, 80 white girls, 57 Negro boys, and 30 Negro girls were inclued in the sample. The results of this study are briefly summarized below. There were differences between Negroes and whites in frustration-aggression patterns and ther were differences in intelligence between the two racial groups. The white group was consistently higher in intelligence at all levels. No consistent correlative relationships were found between intelligence and Picture-Frustration Study scores. Separating the group into high, low and middle intelligence yielded data which accounted for differences found for the total group. There were no consistently reliable differences between norther Negroes and whites except for the following treds: At the high and middle intelligence levels, there were no significant differences in frustration-aggression patterns between Negro and white males whereas, at the low intelligence level the white males scored in intropunitiveness and group conformity while the Negro males were high in extrapunitiveness. At the high intelligence level, Negro females exceeded the white females in obstacle-dominance while at the middle intelligence level, the white females showed more need-persistence. No differences were noted at the low intelligence level for females.