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THE INFLUENCE OF DRIVE VARIABLES UPON LEARNING
Abstract
Considerable experimentation has been oriented to- wards clarifying the role that motivational variables play in the learning process. In reviewing the literature, there appear to be several recurrent issues. There is disagreement among learning theories, for ex- ample, as to what role drive plays in learning. A group of theorists, who are often designated as field, cognitive, or S-S theorists, e.g., Tolman and Leeper, consider that drive variables play an important role in determining the course of learning. In contrast, a number of S-R theorists, e.g., Hull and Spence, do not assign strength of drive as a determining factor in learning, but consider drive as strictly a variable influencing performance. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that drive strength influences learning as well as performance. It was hypothesized that, in certain tasks, subjects given prior task experience under low drive would perform better than subjects given prior task experience under high drive strength. The proposed negative relation between learning and drive strength during acquisition was based on the notion that the acquisition of information, not relevant to the dominant drive source present when this information is processed, is impaired by high drive strength.
Subject Area
Experimental psychology|Psychology
Recommended Citation
HOYENGA, KERMIT TERPENING, "THE INFLUENCE OF DRIVE VARIABLES UPON LEARNING" (1967). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI6715823.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI6715823