John Dollard & Neal Miller

1. John Dollard&Neal Miller 1900 – 1980 1909 - 2002

2. Background • Together: • Believed the two best sources of information about the normal human personality are the rat and neurotic humans who seek professional help. • Did a lot of work on frustration and aggression • Sought to translate Freud’s theory into concepts of learning theory and make his claims testable • Their work is often seen as representing the transition from radical behaviorism to cognitive psychology

3. Hull • Drive reduction theory of learning • Habit is the association between a stimulus and a response • If a stimulus (S) leads to a response (R), which in turn produces a reinforcer, the association between the stimulus and response becomes stronger. (The habit of performing that response in the presence of the stimulus becomes stronger) • Referred to as S-R theory

4. Theory • Four concepts of learning: • Drive: Wanting something • Stimulus that energizes behavior • The stronger the stimulus, the stronger the drive • Internal, external, primary, and secondary • Primary drives at the building blocks of personality • All acquired (secondary) drives ultimately depend on primary drives

5. Theory • Four concepts of learning: • Cues: Noticing Something • Guides behavior • Determine when we will respond, where we will respond, and which response we will make • End of shift whistle • Restraunt sign • Traffic light

6. Theory • Four concepts of learning: • Response: Doing Something • Reduce or eliminate drive • Elicited by the drives and cues present

7. Theory • Four concepts of learning: • Reward or Reinforcement: Getting Something • Any stimulus that causes drive reduction Hunger -> Restraunt sign -> Go into restraunt -> Eat Drive Cue Response Drive reduction

8. Theory • Four concepts of learning: • Response hierarchy • Initial hierarchy of response • Highest probable response (dominant response) to least probable • If drives are satisfied with dominant response, no learning occurs • learning dilemma • When new hierarchy is formed (resultant hierarchy of response), learning occurs

9. 4 Critical Training Periods of Children • Feeding • The conditions under which the hunger drive is satisfied will be learned and generalized into personality attributes • Child left hungry will stop crying and possibly become apathetic, apprehensive, or fear being alone • Child fed develops love for mother and a sociable personality

10. 4 Critical Training Periods of Children • Cleanliness Training • Parental response is critical • Child may have difficulty distinquishing between disapproval of what they have done with disapproval of them personally

11. 4 Critical Training Periods of Children • Early Sex Training • Punishment for masturbation (bed wetting or intentional) • May develop avoidance behaviors if overemphasized • Fear of authority figures

12. 4 Critical Training Periods of Children • Anger – Anxiety Conflicts • Children must learn to deal with anger • Can be healthy in that self control can be gained • Can be unhealthy in that it can remove appropriate assertive behavior.