Dollard And Miller

Dollard & Miller An excellent example of cross curricular cooperation is expressed in the work of John Dollard and Neal Miller. Though from diverse backgrounds, these two individuals attempted to integrate psychoanalytic and behavioral concepts. Dollard originally trained as an anthropologist and Miller as a psychologist. They published Social Learning and Imitation and Personality and Psychotherapy through which they introduced their theories regarding personality. Personality and Psychotherapy, in particular, had a significant influence on psychotherapy (Rolnick & Rickles, 2010). Their attempt to integrate both psychoanalytic and behavioral concepts was groundbreaking.

Introduction To The Theory

The most important concept in Dollard

They motivate and reinforce responses. Inborn drives are known as primary drives while secondary or learned drives are aroused by previously neutral causes (What Is Neal E. Miller and John Dollard's S-R Theory?, 2016). Examples of primary drives would be hunger or pain. A secondary drive might be a commercial for pizza that leads to feelings of hunger even after someone has eaten dinner. Cues, from the environment can prompt a variety of responses. However, the response most likely to occur is the dominant response (What Is Neal E. Miller and John Dollard's S-R Theory?, 2016). All responses are arranged in a hierarchical structure and that hierarchy can change over time. The original hierarchy that a person has is referred to as the initial hierarchy and it is inborn. When a hierarchy changes, the result is known as the response hierarchy (What Is Neal E. Miller and John Dollard's S-R Theory?, 2016). This change in hierarchy is learning according to Dollard and Miller. Dollard and Millard stated that human learning is social in their work Social Learning and Imitation (1941). Imitation of behaviors is one example of what an individual learns to do from society. If the imitation is reinforced or rewarded the individual will continue to imitate a model (What Is Neal E. Miller and John Dollard's S-R Theory?,

Freud believed that a child’s basic personality is formed by the age of six. However, Dollard and Miller differed on their reasons for thinking so. Instead of focusing on urges and fixations they asked “‘What makes early learning experiences so lasting in their effects?’ Their answer is that childhood is a time of urgent and tearing drives, powerful rewards and punishments and crushing frustrations” (Coon, 1989). Consequently, Dollard and Miller’s theory also considered four developmental situations to be of critical importance. Feeding, toilet or cleanliness training, sex training and learning to express anger or aggression are the four developmental stages (Coon, 1989). These ideas are expressed by many in both fields of psychology. Dollard and Miller tried to convert Freud’s first three psychosexual stages into more behavioral terms ("Behavioral Personality Theories," 2016). The feeding situation corresponds to Freud’s oral stage while the cleanliness situation connects with the Freudian Anal stage. Dollard and Miller believed that early sex training, corresponded to Freud’s phallic stage ("Behavioral Personality Theories," 2016). According to Dollard and Miller, unfortunate training experiences, during childhood, might result in conflict or emotional problems (What Is Neal E. Miller and John Dollard's S-R Theory?, 2016). Therefore, children