1.
Biography
Clark Leonard Hull (May 24, 1884 –May 10, 1952)
He was an influential American psychologist and
learning theorist in behaviorism. He tought to explain learning and motivation
by scientific laws of behavior. Clark
Hull's most important contribution to
psychology lies in his theory of learning,
considered one of the most important learning and motivation theories of the twentieth
century . Clark aspired to be a great engineer, but that was before he fell in love with the field of Psychology .
2.
Drive Reduction Theory ( Behaviorism )
This theory
states that organism , especially humans , learn to perform Behavior that have the effect of reducing their
biological drives. A “drive” is a state of arousal or tension triggered by a
person’s physiological or biological needs. These needs include hunger, thirst,
need for warmth, etc. In this theory, Hull stated that drives give rise to an
individual’s motivation. Furthermore, Hull explained that an individual is in a
state of need when his survival is threatened. When a person’s drive emerges,
he will be in an unpleasant state of tension and the person will behave in such
a way that this tension is reduced. To reduce the tension, he will begin
seeking out ways to satisfy his biological needs. For instance, you will look
for water to drink if you are thirsty. You will seek for food if you are
hungry.
According to
the theory, any behaviour that reduces the drives will be repeated by humans
and animals. This is because the reduction of the drive serves as a positive
reinforcement (i.e. a reward) for the behaviour that caused such drive
reduction. Hull’s drive reduction theory is based upon his mathematical formulation Known as: Hull’s law The equation reads as follows :
E = H
x D
E
= Energy or Response Potential: The energy for performing the
behavior,
which
is directly related to the probability of
the behavior being completed
H
= Habit : The strength of particular stimulus- response association
D
= Drive : The strength of biologically – based homeostatic need
Hull in later years decide to rename
his drive reduction theory to be called Drive stimulus reduction theory , to emphasize the
reduction or complete Removal of stimuli elements from the drive that occurs
upon the organism Completing a correct
response sought after on the part of the experimenter .Hull believed that human
behavior is a result of the constant interaction between the organism and its
environment. The environment provides
the stimuli and the organism responds .
According to theory this case
described by Miller & Dollard (1941), a six year old girl who is hungry and
wants candy is told that there is candy hidden fewer than one of the books in a
bookcase. The girl begins to pull out books in a random manner until she
finally finds the correct book (210 seconds). She sent out of the room and a
new piece of candy is hidden under the same book. In her next search, she is
much more directed and finds the candy in 86 seconds. By the ninth repetition
of this experiment, the girl finds the candy immediately (2 seconds).
The girl presents a drive for the candy and
looking under books represented her responses to reduce this drive. When she
eventually found the correct book, this particular response was rewarded,
forming a habit. On subsequent trials, the strength of this habit was increased
until it became a single stimulus-response connection in this setting.
Hull's learning theory focuses
mainly on the principle of reinforcement when an S-R relationship is followed
by a reduction of the need, the probability increases that in future similar
situations the same stimulus will create the same prior response. Reinforcement
can be defined in terms of reduction of a primary need. The Logical deductive
theory is a reference to how Clark Hull developed his learning theory (drive
reduction theory). According to
Watson, the organism is empty and brain physiology merely connects stimulus
with response.
Watson’s rejection of
unobservable events inside the organism (body and brain) was unscientific, hull
believed. Hull proposed that since we cannot observe the mediating events
inside the organism, it does not mean that they do not exist.
Hunger
can be defined as feeling of emptiness or the sensation of “pangs” in the
stomach. An operational definition of hunger is, number of hours of food
deprivation. This definition of hunger is quantifiable. Operationally defined
mediating events, like hunger are intervening variables that reside in the
organism and are caused by factors like food deprivation, thus they can effect
behavioral change like learning.
Later
Hull totally agrees with Watson in stating that these intervening variables are
not mind or mental events. Thus (mental) feeling of “hungriness” was not
important to Hull, but hunger as food deprivation was, because it could be
measured and tested to explain behavior, after that defined ( neobehaviorism
)
a.
Intervening Variable ( Behaviorism)
In Clark Leonard hull’s
drive reduction theory, the intervening variable is anything that can come
between a stimulus and response or anything that can inhibit a response. The
variable could be an external event, an inhibiting factor in test environment,
or physical factor with the organism, such as boredom or fatigue.
b.
Hull Theory in Education
Drive : The Learner Must Want Something
Cue
: The learner must attend to something
Response : The learner must do something
Reinforcement : The learner’s response must get him/her something
That he
or she wants.
c.
Principles:
1.
Drive is essential in order for
responses to occur (i.e., the student must want to learn).
2.
Stimuli and responses must be
detected by the organism in order for conditioning to occur ( i.e., the student
must be attentive).
3.
Response must be made in order for
conditioning to occur (i.e., the student must be active).
4.
Conditioning only occurs if the
reinforcement satisfied a need (i.e, the learning must satisfy the learner's
wants).
Hull
formulated 16 (1943) postulates (18 postulates, 1951) and many theorems to
explain his learning theory.
Reference
David
C. Leonard, (2002) Learning theories, A to Z , Greenwood Publishing Group
Jon
E Roeckelein, (1996) Dictionary of
Theories, Laws, and Concepts in Psychology,Greenwood Publishing Group
“Drive-Reduction
Theory.” Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 09 Oct. 2014. Retrieved 17
Nov. 2014 from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/motivation-12/approaches-to-explaining-motivation-65/drive-reduction-theory-250-12785/
Morgan,Ponticell,Gordon, (1998) “Enhancing Learning In Training And Adult
Education”, Praeger Publisher.
Hergenhahn,
Olson, (1997) An Introduction To Theories Of Learning (Fifth Edition)”, A&A
Publishing Services.
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