The Effects of Visual Feedback and Level of Aggression on the Application of Noxious Stimuli

Sixty-four male undergraduate students who were enrolled in an introductory psychology course were used as subjects to determine the effect which visual feedback and level of aggression have on the application of a noxious stimulus to another human being. Equal numbers of high and low aggressive Ss, based on Edwards Personal Preference Schedule scores, were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups, defined by type of visual feedback. The Ss were permitted to select the intensity and duration of hypothetical electric shock which they could apply to a male confederate as punishment for supposedly incorrect responses in a learning task. Results of the study strongly indicate that shock duration is a function of type of visual feedback but not level of aggression while the opposite is the case for shock intensity