Psychologist Clark Hull Biography (1884-1952)

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEarly LifeHull’s Career and TheoriesContributions to the Field of PsychologySelected Publications

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Early Life

Hull’s Career and Theories

Contributions to the Field of Psychology

Selected Publications

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Clark Hull was a psychologist known for his drive theory and research on human motivation. Through his teaching, Hull also had an impact on a number of other well-known and influential psychologists including Kenneth Spence, Neal Miller, and Albert Bandura.

In a 2002 ranking of some of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, Hull was listed as the 21st most eminent psychologist.

Learn more about his life, career, and contributions to the field of psychology.

Fast Facts: Clark HullBorn:May 24, 1884 in Akron, New YorkDied:May 10, 1952 in New Haven, ConnecticutKnown For:Drive reduction theory,Behaviorism, research onhypnosisEducation:University of Michigan (undergraduate and graduate degrees) University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D.)

Fast Facts: Clark Hull

Born:May 24, 1884 in Akron, New YorkDied:May 10, 1952 in New Haven, ConnecticutKnown For:Drive reduction theory,Behaviorism, research onhypnosisEducation:University of Michigan (undergraduate and graduate degrees) University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D.)

At age 24, he contracted polio and became permanently paralyzed in his left leg, leaving him reliant on an iron brace and cane to walk. He had originally planned to study engineering, but his health struggles led him to turn his interests toward psychology.

While his poor health and financial struggles led to several interruptions in his education, he eventually earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. In 1918, he was awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

After completing his Ph.D., Hull remained at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to teach. During this time, he began researching the measurement and prediction of aptitude and published his bookAptitude Testingin 1928.

In 1929, he took a position at Yale University where he would continue to work for the rest of his career. He became one of the first psychologists to empirically studyhypnosis.

During this time, he also began to develop what would eventually become his drive theory of behavior. Hull drew on the ideas and research of a number of thinkers including Charles Darwin,Ivan Pavlov,John B. Watson, andEdward L. Thorndike.

Biography of Psychologist John B. Watson

For example, Miller and Dollard applied Hull’s basic theory more broadly to includesocial learningand imitation. However, they suggested that motivating stimuli did not necessarily need to be tied to the survival needs of an organism.

How Social Learning Theory Works

Clark Hull also influenced a number of other psychologists. He became one of the most frequently cited psychologists during the 1940s and 1950s. Prior to the cognitive revolution of the 1960s, his theories had a more dominant influence in American psychology.

He also advised a number of graduate students who went on to make significant contributions to psychology including Neal Miller, O. H. Mowrer, Carl I. Hovland, and Kenneth Spence.

While the specifics of his theories have fallen out of favor in psychology, his emphasis onexperimental methodsset a high standard for future researchers.

Below are some of Hull’s most important publications:

Hull, C. (1933).Hypnosis and Suggestibility: An Experimental Approach. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Hull, C. (1943).Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Hull, C. et al. (1940).Mathematico-Deductive Theory of Rote Learning. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haggbloom SJ, Warnick R, Warnick JE, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Review of General Psychology. 2002;6(2):139-152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139Additional ReadingEncyclopaedia Britannica.Clark L. Hull. Updated May 20, 2019.Hothersall, D.History of Psychology(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995.Hull, C.Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; 1943.Miller, N. & Dollard, J.Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; 1941.Spence K.Clark Leonard Hull: 1884-1952.The American Journal of Psychology. 1952;65(4):693-646.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haggbloom SJ, Warnick R, Warnick JE, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Review of General Psychology. 2002;6(2):139-152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139Additional ReadingEncyclopaedia Britannica.Clark L. Hull. Updated May 20, 2019.Hothersall, D.History of Psychology(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995.Hull, C.Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; 1943.Miller, N. & Dollard, J.Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; 1941.Spence K.Clark Leonard Hull: 1884-1952.The American Journal of Psychology. 1952;65(4):693-646.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Haggbloom SJ, Warnick R, Warnick JE, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Review of General Psychology. 2002;6(2):139-152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139

Encyclopaedia Britannica.Clark L. Hull. Updated May 20, 2019.Hothersall, D.History of Psychology(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995.Hull, C.Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; 1943.Miller, N. & Dollard, J.Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; 1941.Spence K.Clark Leonard Hull: 1884-1952.The American Journal of Psychology. 1952;65(4):693-646.

Encyclopaedia Britannica.Clark L. Hull. Updated May 20, 2019.

Hothersall, D.History of Psychology(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995.

Hull, C.Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; 1943.

Miller, N. & Dollard, J.Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; 1941.

Spence K.Clark Leonard Hull: 1884-1952.The American Journal of Psychology. 1952;65(4):693-646.

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