Elena received an unexpectedly low grade on her coursework despite spending weeks preparing. She felt intense frustration and anger towards her teacher, but was unable to safely express these feelings at school.
Upon returning home, she went to her room and spent 15 minutes playing an action-heavy, combat-based video game, aggressively defeating virtual opponents. Afterwards, she felt significantly calmer and her anger had dissipated.
Using your knowledge of the psychodynamic explanation of aggression, explain how catharsis accounts for Elena's change in state.
88 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Central nervous system and neurotransmitters, Effect of recreational drugs on transmission, Brain structure and aggression, Evolution and natural selection, Freud's psychodynamic explanation of aggression, Role of hormones in aggression, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.