Neal E. Miller

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Lore & Background

Neal Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1909 and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. His father, Irving Miller, chaired the Department of Education and Psychology at Western Washington University, which Neal later said "may have had something to do with" his interest in psychology. He studied biology and physics at the University of Washington, graduating with a B.S., and then earned an M.S. at Stanford University. At Yale University, he received his Ph.D. in psychology in 1935 and spent a year as a social science research fellow at the Institute of Psychoanalysis in Vienna before returning to Yale as a faculty member in 1936. He spent 30 years at Yale (1936–1966), then taught at Rockefeller University and Cornell University Medical College, returning to Yale as a research associate in 1985. Miller's early research focused on fear as a learned drive and its role in conflict. He extended his work to other autonomic drives like hunger, using unique experimental techniques that changed ideas about motivation and behavior. Along with John Dollard and O. Hobart Mowrer, he helped integrate behavioral and psychoanalytic concepts, translating psychoanalytic ideas into behavioral terms. Together with Mowrer, he gave his name to the "Miller-Mowrer Shuttlebox" apparatus. His work on conditioning in rats led to his discovery of biofeedback, for which he is credited with most of the basic ideas.

Reader's Guide

Neal Miller's significance lies in his foundational contributions to behavioral psychology and physiological psychology, particularly through his research on fear as a learned drive and the development of biofeedback. His work demonstrated that visceral responses could be conditioned, opening new avenues for behavioral medicine. By integrating psychoanalytic concepts with stimulus-response theory alongside Dollard and Mowrer, he helped bridge two major schools of thought in psychology. Miller's legacy is reflected in his high citation ranking—eighth most cited psychologist of the 20th century in a 2002 survey—and in the establishment of awards in his name, including the New Investigator Award from the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and a distinguished lectureship award from the American Psychological Association. He also received the National Medal of Science in 1964, the first psychologist to do so. His defense of animal research, while controversial, highlighted his commitment to empirical science. Miller wrote eight books and 276 papers and articles over his career.

Did You Know?

• Miller was the first psychologist to receive the National Medal of Science, awarded by President Johnson in 1964.
• A 2002 survey ranked Miller as the eighth most cited psychologist of the 20th century.
• Miller spent 30 years at Yale University (1936–1966) before teaching at Rockefeller University and Cornell University Medical College.
• He co-authored the book 'Personality and Psychotherapy' (1950) with John Dollard, focusing on neurosis and psychological learning concepts.
• Miller served as president of the American Psychological Association from 1960–61.