1. Dollard and Miller Chapter 10
Psychoanalytic Learning Theory

2. Hull’s Theory of Learning
Drive – any strong impulse that moves an organism to action
Reinforcer – anything that reduces a drive
Habit – association b/t stimulus and response (S-R learning)
Goal: Synthesize theories of Freud and Hull
Hull’s theory of learning:
Drive – any strong impulse that moves an organism to action
Reinforcer – anything that reduces a drive
Habit – association b/t stimulus and response (S-R learning)

3. Dollard & Miller’s Theory of Learning
Drive
Cue
Response
Reinforcement
Goal: Synthesize theories of Freud and Hull
Drive - what a person wants, which motivates learning
Ex. hunger
thirst
sexual drive
approval-seeking
Cue: what a person notices, which provides a discriminative stimulus for learning
Ex. mother calling
sight of someone you love
Response - what a person does, which is learned
Ex. crying
asking for help
criticizing someone
Reinforcement - what a person gets as a result of a response in the learning sequence, which strengthens responses because of its drive-reducing effect
Ex. food
approval

4. Response Hierarchies Habit family hierarchy Learning
Innate hierarchy of responses
Dominant response
Learning
Initial hierarchy of responses
Resultant hierarchy of responses
Response hierarchies:
Habit family hierarchy
Innate hierarchy of responses
Dominant response
Learning
Initial hierarchy of responses
Resultant hierarchy of responses

5. Example of a response hierarchy: child
R1: cry
R2: grab teddy bear
R3: hide
R4: demand Daddy
R5: go quietly to bed
Ex. R1: cry (dominant response)
R2: grab teddy bear
R3: hide
R4: demand Daddy
R5: go quietly to bed

6. 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.

7. Bandura (1925- ) & Mischel (1930- )
B got interested in personality in part b/c worked on the Alaskan highway for a summer, people working there were usually trying to escape creditors, alimony or probation officers
He said it gave him a “keen appreciation for the psycholpathology of everyday life”
Originally started work with children might learn aggression from parents – started him thinking about observational learning
M was always interested in self-control – delay of gratification to get a much larger reward

8. Consistency of Human Behavior
Mischel’s Peace Corps study
Personality Coefficient
Weak correlation (.30) between standard personality tests and behavior
Consistency Paradox
The persistent belief that human behavior is consistent over time and situation when experimental evidence indicates that it is not
In fact, Mischel believes consistency is maladaptive
Mischel’s Peace Corps study - M had a job in 1060s trying to predict if Peace Corps volunteers would be successful
He found out that there was only a weak connection (.30) between test scores and actual behavior (called Personality Coefficient)
He suggested that this was not the fault of the tests, but that people are simply not consistent with behavior; in other words, traits can help describe behavior, but they cannot predict it
Studies backup idea that people are not as consistent as originally thought
In past, people had made two assumptions:
- a person’s behaviors would be consistent over both time and situation
- personality tests would be a good predictor of behavior
Consistency Paradox - The persistent belief that human behavior is consistent over time and situation when experimental evidence indicates that it is not
M even suggests that too much consistency is maladaptive, person too rigid

9. The Situational Context of Behavior
Variables affecting personality
Person variables – personal traits that influence response to a situation
Situation variables – environmental circumstances person finds themselves in
Traditional theory overemphasizes Person Variables
Skinner overemphasizes Situation Variables
Variables affecting personality
Person variables – personal traits that influence response to a situation
Situation variables – environmental circumstances person finds themselves in
Traditional theory overemphasizes Person Variables
Skinner overemphasizes Situation Variables

10. The Situational Context of Behavior
Reciprocal Determinism
Personality emerges from the mutual interactions of individuals, their actions, and their environments.
Reciprocal Determinism
Personality emerges from the mutual interactions of individuals, their actions, and their environments.

11. Imagine combinations of these behaviors: hit cry smile
With any of these situations:
... when pushed.
... when teased.
... when complimented.

12. It makes sense to “hit back when pushed
It makes sense to “hit back when pushed.” It does not make sense to “cry when complimented.”

13. Person Variables
Beliefs, values, and information gathering strategies that determine which stimuli are perceived, selected, interpreted, and used
Person variables: Beliefs, values, and information gathering strategies that determine which stimuli are perceived, selected, interpreted, and used

14. 1. Encoding Strategies “How we see things”
personal constructs - trait terms people use to describe themselves and other people
Ex. passionate, hard-working
situational descriptions – how situation is interpreted
helps explain why people have different reactions to same situation
Encoding strategies
“How we see things”
personal constructs - trait terms people use to describe themselves and other people
Ex. passionate, hard-working
situational descriptions – how situation is interpreted
helps explain why people have different reactions to same situation

15. 2. Expectancies “What we think will happen”
Behavior-Outcome Expectancies
Stimulus-Outcome Expectancies
Self-Efficacy Expectancies
2. Expectancies
“What we think will happen”
Behavior-Outcome Expectancies
Stimulus-Outcome Expectancies
Self-Efficacy Expectancies

16. Behavior-Outcome Expectancies
If I act in this way, it will have the following result.
If I study 3 hours, will I get an A ?
If I run, will I catch the bus?
Used when specifics about current situation unknown, based on past, similar experiences
Behavior-outcome expectancies
If I act in this way, it will have the following result.
If I study 3 hours, will I get an A ?
If I run, will I catch the bus?
Used when specifics about current situation unknown, based on past, similar experiences

17. Stimulus-Outcome Expectancies
What will happen next?
Learned from past experiences
Stimulus-outcome expectancies
What will happen next?
Learned from past experiences

18. I know what to expect from this stimulus!

19. Self-Efficacy Expectancies
Can I do it?
Self-efficacy – what a person can do
Perceived self-efficacy – what a person thinks they are capable of doing
Self-efficacy expectancies
Can I do it?
Self-efficacy – what a person can do
Perceived self-efficacy – what a person thinks they are capable of doing

20. Self-Efficacy Expectancies
Strong emotion – low self-efficacy
Calmness – high self-efficacy
People w/ high self-efficacy
Set higher goals
Persist longer
More venturesome
Recover more quickly from set-backs
Have less fear, anxiety, stress & depression
Self-efficacy expectancies
Strong emotion – low self-efficacy
Calmness – high self-efficacy
People w/ high self-efficacy
Set higher goals
Persist longer
More venturesome
Recover more quickly from set-backs
Have less fear, anxiety, stress & depression

21. 3. Subjective values (of outcome)
“What is worth having or doing?”
desirability of outcomes (given the particular individual’s goals or values)
3. Subjective values (of outcome)
“What is worth having or doing?”
desirability of outcomes (given the particular individual’s goals or values)

22. 4. Self-regulatory systems and plans
“How do we attain our goals?”
4. self-regulatory systems and plans
“How do we attain our goals?”

23. Self-Regulated Behavior
Most behavior is self-regulated
Performance Standards:
When performance meets standards, person feels good
When performance does not meet standards, person feels bad
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic reinforcement/punishment
I.e., most behavior is purposive or teleological
Self-regulated behavior
Most behavior is self-regulated
Performance Standards:
When performance meets standards, person feels good
When performance does not meet standards, person feels bad
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic reinforcement/punishment
I.e., most behavior is purposive or teleological

24. Self-Regulated Behavior
Self-Efficacy as a mediator of performance
Moral Conduct as a regulator of performance
Self-Exonerating Mechanisms excuse violations of moral standards
Self-regulated behavior
Self-Efficacy as a mediator of performance
Moral Conduct as a regulator of performance
Self-Exonerating Mechanisms excuse violations of moral standards

25. Self-Exonerating Mechanisms
Moral justification
Euphemistic labeling
Advantageous comparison
Displacement of responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility
Disregard or distortion of consequences
Dehumanization
Attribution of blame
Self-exonerating mechanisms
Moral justification
Euphemistic labeling
Advantageous comparison
Displacement of responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility
Disregard or distortion of consequences
Dehumanization
Attribution of blame

26. Delay of Gratification

27. 5. Competencies “What we are capable of doing?” behavioral cognitive

28. Examples Sexual gender identity
Knowing structure of the physical world
Social rules and conventions
Personal constructs about self, others
Rehearsal strategies for learning
Sexual gender identity
Knowing structure of the physical world
Social rules and conventions
Personal constructs about self, others
Rehearsal strategies for learning
Table 12.2 (text page 360). Adapted from Mischel, 1973, p. 266.

29. Five Person Variables Encoding strategies Expectancies
Subjective values
Self-regulatory systems & plans
Competencies
Person variables
Encoding strategies
Expectancies
Subjective values
Self-regulatory systems & plans
Competencies

30. Experiment
nursery school students would behave more aggressively when they observed an aggressive adult
Bobo doll
nursery school students would behave more aggressively when they observed an aggressive adult

31. Observational Learning
Learning that takes place when one observes and models the behavior of others
Models as sources of vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment
News and Entertainment Media as Models
Observational learning
Learning that takes place when one observes and models the behavior of others
Models as sources of vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment
News and Entertainment Media as Models

32. Elements Necessary for Modeling
Attention
One must pay attention to a behavior and its consequences
Retention
One must recall what was observed
Reproduction
Observers must have the motor ability to reproduce the modeled behavior
Motivation
Observer must expect reinforcement for modeled act
Necessary elements for modeling
Attention
One must pay attention to a behavior and its consequences
Retention
One must recall what was observed
Reproduction
Observers must have the motor ability to reproduce the modeled behavior
Motivation
Observer must expect reinforcement for modeled act

33. Dysfunctional Expectancies and Psychotherapy
Psychological problems result from dysfunctional expectancies
Thinking you can do more than you can
 frustration
Believing you can do less than you can
 inhibits personal growth
Goal of Psychotherapy: Change perceived self-efficacy
Dysfunctional expectancies and psychotherapy
Psychological problems result from dysfunctional expectancies
Thinking you can do more than you can
 frustration
Believing you can do less than you can
 inhibits personal growth
Goal of Psychotherapy: Change perceived self-efficacy

34. Social Cognitive Theory View of Human Nature
Freedom versus Determinism
Bandura as a “soft-determinist”
Freedom as options
Chance Encounters and Life Paths
Mind-Body Relationship
Social Cognitive Theory does not accept dualism
Social cognitive theory view of human nature
Freedom versus Determinism
Bandura as a “soft-determinist”
Freedom as options
Chance Encounters and Life Paths
Mind-Body Relationship
Social Cognitive Theory does not accept dualism

35. Critique
Contributions
Critique
contributions