Donald E. Westlake
American novelist (1933-2008)
B. F. Skinner
American behaviorist
B.F. Skinner was a renowned American psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning and founded the experimental analysis of behavior. He was a prolific author and is considered one of the pioneers of modern behaviorism, being the most influential psychologist of the 20th century.
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About the B. F. Skinner
Burrhus Frederic Skinnerwas an American psychologist, behaviorist, inventor, and social philosopher. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974.
Considering free will to be an illusion, Skinner saw human action as dependent on consequences of previous actions, a theory he would articulate as the principle of reinforcement: If the consequences to an action are bad, there is a high chance the action will not be repeated; if the consequences are good, the probability of the action being repeated becomes stronger.
Skinner developed behavior analysis, especially the philosophy of radical behaviorism, and founded the experimental analysis of behavior, a school of experimental research psychology. He also used operant conditioning to strengthen behavior, considering the rate of response to be the most effective measure of response strength. To study operant conditioning, he invented the operant conditioning chamber (aka the Skinner box), and to measure rate he invented the cumulative recorder. Using these tools, he and Charles Ferster produced Skinner’s most influential experimental work, outlined in their 1957 book Schedules of Reinforcement.
Skinner was a prolific author, publishing 21 books and 180 articles. He imagined the application of his ideas to the design of a human community in his 1948 utopian novel, Walden Two, while his analysis of human behavior culminated in his 1958 work, Verbal Behavior.
Skinner, John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, are considered to be the pioneers of modern behaviorism. Accordingly, a June 2002 survey listed Skinner as the most influential psychologist of the 20th century.
Frequently Asked Questions
B.F. Skinner was an American psychologist, behaviorist, inventor, and social philosopher. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974.
Skinner saw human action as dependent on the consequences of previous actions, a theory he articulated as the principle of reinforcement. He believed that free will was an illusion.
Skinner developed behavior analysis, especially the philosophy of radical behaviorism, and founded the experimental analysis of behavior, a school of experimental research psychology.
Skinner invented the operant conditioning chamber (also known as the Skinner box) and the cumulative recorder to measure the rate of response, which he considered the most effective measure of response strength.
Skinner’s most influential experimental work was outlined in the 1957 book ‘Schedules of Reinforcement’, which he co-authored with Charles Ferster.
Skinner was a prolific author, publishing 21 books and 180 articles. He imagined the application of his ideas to the design of a human community in his 1948 utopian novel, ‘Walden Two’, and his analysis of human behavior culminated in his 1958 work, ‘Verbal Behavior’.
Skinner, along with John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, are considered to be the pioneers of modern behaviorism. A June 2002 survey listed Skinner as the most influential psychologist of the 20th century.
10 Quotes by B. F. Skinner
- 1.
Society attacks early, when the individual is helpless.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 2.
If you’re old, don’t try to change yourself, change your environment.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 3.
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 4.
The consequences of an act affect the probability of it’s occurring again.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 5.
I did not direct my life. I didn’t design it. I never made decisions. Things always came up and made them for me. That’s what life is.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 6.
The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 7.
A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 8.
We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 9.
Give me a child and I’ll shape him into anything.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist
- 10.
Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
B. F. SkinnerAmerican behaviorist