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Skinner's Theories

What are Skinner's theories?

The American psychologist and social scientist B.F. Skinner was one the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. Skinner pioneered the science of behaviorism, discovered the power of positive reinforcement in education, invented the Skinner Box, as well as designed the foremost psychological experiments that gave predictable and quantitatively repeatable outcomes.

During the 1930s, B. F. Skinner proposed the theory of operant conditioning, which states that behavior change and learning occur as the outcomes or effects of punishment and reinforcement. A response is strengthened by reinforcement, as it increases the likelihood that a  desired behaviour will be repeated again in the future.

B. F. Skinner believes that learning involves shift in overt behavior. A change in human behavior occurs as the outcome of an person’s response to stimuli (events) that take place in the surrounding. A response creates an outcome such as solving a mathematical problem, or explaining a word.

When an individual is

B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist, researcher, philosopher, inventor, and author. He is best known for his scientific approach to studying human behavior and his contributions to behaviorism. Skinner believed all human behavior is acquired via conditioning and that free will is an illusion. The American Psychological Association ranks Skinner as the most eminent psychologist of the 20th century.

B. F. Skinner's Childhood

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born on March 20, 1904, in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Susquehanna was a small coal and railroad town located in the hills. Skinner’s parents were Grace and William Skinner. His brother Edward was two and a half years younger than him.

Skinner’s father worked as a lawyer. William Skinner bought many books and built a large library in his home. Skinner’s mother, Grace, was a homemaker. Skinner grew up in a religious family and was raised as a Presbyterian. He described his home environment as “warm and stable.”

Much of Skinner’s childhood was spent outdoors roaming the hills of Susquehanna. He was an active, energetic yo

B. F. Skinner

American psychologist and social philosopher (1904–1990)

B. F. Skinner

Skinner, c. 1950

Born

Burrhus Frederic Skinner


(1904-03-20)March 20, 1904

Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, U.S.

DiedAugust 18, 1990(1990-08-18) (aged 86)

Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.

Alma materHamilton College (AB)
Harvard University (PhD)
Known forBehavior analysis
Operant conditioning
Radical behaviorism
Verbal Behavior (1957)
Spouse

Yvonne (Eve) Blue

(m. 1936)​
[1]
ChildrenJulie and Deborah
AwardsNational Medal of Science (1968)
Scientific career
FieldsPsychology, linguistics, philosophy
InstitutionsUniversity of Minnesota
Indiana University
Harvard University

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, inventor, and social philosopher.[2][3][4][5] He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974.

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