10/14/08 1 Personality Psychology Psychology 370 Sheila K. Grant, Ph.D. Professor California State University, Northridge CHAPTER ELEVEN DOLLARD AND MILLER: Psychoanalytic Learning Theory Chapter Overview Psychoanalytic Learning Theory: Dollard and Miller  Four fundamental concepts about learning  The learning process  Learning by imitation  The four critical training periods of childhood  Conflict  Frustration and aggression  Language  Neurosis  Psychotherapy  Suppression Psychoanalytic Learning Theory Reconsidered Preview of Dollard and Miller’s Theory Four fundamental concepts about learning " “In order to learn, one must want something, notice something, do something, and get something.” " drive (“want something”) " cue (“notice something”) " response (“do something”) " reward (“get something”) drive what a person wants, which motivates learning " hunger " thirst " sexual drive " approval-seeking Definition: Examples:10/14/08 2 cue what a person notices, which provides a discriminative stimulus for learning " mother calling " sight of someone you love Definition: Examples: response what a person does, which is learned " crying " asking for help " criticizing someone Definition: Examples: response " response hierarchy " dominant response " resultant hierarchy Example of a response hierarchy: child " R1: cry " R2: grab teddy bear " R3: hide " R4: demand Daddy " R5: go quietly to bed reward what a person gets as a result of a response in the learning sequence, which strengthens responses because of its drive-reducing effect " food " approval Definition: Examples: The learning process " learning dilemma: a situation in which existing responses are not rewarded10/14/08 3 When reinforcement is withheld, the rate of behavior decreases. In this example, if parents ignore a child who cries at bedtime, the child will cry less and less as time goes on. When cues signal the appropriate response, we must also consider " stimulus generalization " discrimination gradient of reward " The more closely the response is followed by reward, the more it is strengthened. " Language can influence this by making a response "close" by talking about it. anticipatory response Learning by imitation Learning theory permits careful analysis of 3 kinds of “imitation” or “identification.” " same behavior " copying " matched dependent behavior The four critical training periods of childhood 1. Feeding 2. Cleanliness Training 3. Early Sex Training 4. Anger-Anxiety Conflicts Conflict Gradient of approach Gradient of avoidance10/14/08 4 Four types of conflict " approach-avoidance " avoidance-avoidance " approach-approach " double approach-avoidance approach-avoidance avoidance-avoidance approach-approach double approach-avoidance Reducing Conflict " Trying to reduce conflict " compare drugs (alcohol) with psychotherapy...10/14/08 5 Frustration and Aggression Modification of the Frustration and Aggression hypothesis  Learning Responses to Frustration  Displacement and Catharsis  Hostile Aggression and Instrumental Aggression  Aggressive Cues  The Role of Emotions Individual Differences in Aggressive Responses " Impact of early experience (child abuse) and failure of ego development " Impact of learning " Impact of brain development Language " allows discrimination " facilitates learning and problem-solving " comparison with Freud’s “secondary process” (ego) Neurosis Schematic Diagram (simplified) of Some Basic Factors Involved in Neurosis as a “stupidity-misery syndrome” Psychotherapy " teaching behavioral coping " teaching discrimination of cues " teaching relaxation (drive reduction) " language as mediator of learning10/14/08 6 Suppression The White Bear Suppression Inventory is correlated with obsessional thinking, depression, and anxiety. And, although people can learn to repress unwanted thoughts, they often "rebound" later, occurring with increased frequency. Suppression " Can be adaptive " Can sensitize to (mis)interpretation of other events (projection, for example) " Can produce adverse health effects " Suppression of thoughts is more helpful than suppression of emotions Psychoanalytic Learning Theory Reconsidered Chapter Review Psychoanalytic Learning Theory: Dollard and Miller " Four fundamental concepts about learning " The learning process " Learning by imitation " The four critical training periods of childhood " Conflict " Frustration and aggression " Language " Neurosis " Psychotherapy " Suppression Psychoanalytic Learning Theory