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EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 4,
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News Bureau Information Form
FROM James L. White DATE February 25, 1969
SUBJECT PHS Funds Psychology Research Grant ($4,945)
WHAT? Research Grant in Frustrative Nonreward in Animals
WHO? Dr. Robert Stephen Tacker, Psychology Department
WHEN (DAY, DATE, TIME)?
WHERE?
WHY?
OTHER INFORMATION (Quotable comment, etc.) be wil pelied it
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Dr. Robert Stephen Tacker
(Name)
sychology Department Ext. 246
(Department, Schoo! or Organization) (Phone)
Information verified by
(Signature)
lease return to ECU News Bureau, 113 Erwin Hall, P. O. Box 2773, Phone
758"3426 (Ext. 288 or 322).
Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. ~S=$555 has informed
Dr. Steve Tacker of the East Carolina University Psychology
Department of approval by the National Institute of
Mental Health of a research grant in the amount of $4,919.
The purpose of the grant is to study basic processes
underlying frustration and the effects of frustration on
learning. In explaining some of the specific problems
to be investigated, Dr. Tacker said," We have all
experienced frustration at one time or another, and we
have usually been able to pinpoint the immediate cause of
the feeling of frustration. We also know many of the
things we do when frustrated. As an example, if you
ut a coin in a vending machine and nothing happens,
that might be a minor frustrating event. However, an
outlet for removing this frustration is available so
no strong feeling of frustration is aroused. But, now,
ifT you push the coin return lever and still nothing
happens, what do you do? Most people @et push the
lever harder. Trying harder may be one result of
frustration. We are interestedTin why people try harder
when frustrated. Have they learned to try harder or is
it a tendency that they are born with? And why do some
eople try harder than others, and at what point do they
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stop trying harder and kick the machine?
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"Since ethical problems might arise in studying
these processes in humans, we work with simpler situations
using animal subjects, but the goals are the same---
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trying to understand frustration. We want to know how
reiuce
to preeedtre it, how to control it, and how to eliminate
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Dr. Tacker, an Associate Professor of Psychology,
joined the East Carolina University faculty in June of
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last year.after teaching for four years at the Universit
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of South Dakota, He and his wife are natives of
west Tennessee