Boiling points: Profiling individual differences in frustration triggers and affective responses.

Abstract

Frustration is a universally experienced yet understudied affective state, frequently examined in isolated, controlled laboratory environments that neglect the intricate interaction of internal and situational factors. This exploratory research extends beyond such isolated settings by investigating how individual differences, including personality traits, behavioral tendencies, and situational triggers, influence the onset, severity, and reactions to frustration. A total of 145 participants (100 women), aged between 14 and 66 years, completed the Frustration Induction Task (FIT), which was designed to elicit frustration through factors such as time constraints, disruptive notifications, ambiguous feedback, and keyboard manipulation. Based on participants self-reported experiences of frustration, three distinct response profiles were identified: High Frustration, Mid Frustration, and Low Frustration. The High Frustration profile showed descriptively higher neuroticism, emotion-regulation difficulties, and discomfort intolerance, whereas the Low Frustration profile showed descriptively higher emotional intelligence and personal standards of perfectionism. However, individual personality traits and behavioral tendencies did not differ significantly across profiles after correction for multiple comparisons. Situational triggers, particularly time pressure and evaluative feedback more reliably differentiated the frustration profiles. These results provide a more comprehensive understanding of individual differences in frustration responses and emphasize the importance of developing tailored emotion regulation strategies in both clinical settings and high-stress environments.