The Frustration Induction Task (FIT): A Paradigm for Inducing Frustration in Experimental Studies

Frustration constitutes an affective state precipitated by the obstruction of goals or the failure to meet expectations, playing a crucial role in emotional regulation and the development of maladaptive behaviors. Despite its significance, frustration remains difficult to induce and quantify in experimental paradigms due to its multifaceted nature and overlap with related emotions such as anger, helplessness, and irritation. This study introduces the Frustration Induction Task (FIT), a tablet-based paradigm designed to evoke frustration in a controlled, reproducible, and component-specific manner. Across two experiments (total N = 160), participants were randomly assigned to complete a navigation task under either frustration-inducing or control conditions. The FIT integrated multiple triggers, including time constraints, ambiguous feedback, reward omission, keyboard manipulation, and interface disruptions, based on theoretical models of frustration. Participants reported their frustration after each trial and completed a post-task assessment of component-specific frustration. In Study One, the frustration-induced group reported significantly higher levels of frustration compared to the control group. Frustration levels increased progressively across trials, supporting the cumulative frustration design of the paradigm. In Study Two, time pressure, keyboard malfunction, and negative performance feedback emerged as the strongest contributors to frustration, whereas address familiarity played a minimal role. The FIT offers a paradigm for experimentally eliciting and measuring frustration. By enabling real-time, component-specific assessment of frustration dynamics, it provides a valuable framework for future research in affective science, cognitive control, neuroscience, and emotion regulation.