Recording-2025-03-10T22:05:52.833Z

Overview of B. F. Skinner

• Full Name: Boris Frederick Skinner (B. F. Skinner)

• Profession: Psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, social philosopher

• Academic Position: Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University (1958-1974)

Key Concepts and Contributions

• Operant Conditioning: A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior.

• Schedules of Reinforcement: Techniques related to operant conditioning, including:

  • Fixed Ratio Schedules

  • Variable Ratio Schedules

  • Fixed Interval Schedules

  • Variable Interval Schedules

• Skinner Box: An operant conditioning chamber used to study behavior through reinforcement.

• Cumulative Recorder: A device that electronically records the subject's responses over time.

• Radical Behaviorism: Skinner's philosophy emphasizing observable behavior as the primary subject of psychological study.

Biography of B. F. Skinner

• Early Life:

  • Born in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.

  • Father: Lawyer; Mother: Homemaker; One younger brother, Edward.

  • Childhood: Described as warm and stable, with interests in building and inventing.

• Education:

  • BA in English Literature from Hamilton College (1926).

  • Developed an interest in scientific reasoning influenced by Francis Bacon.

  • Shifted from a writing career to psychology after encountering works by Pavlov and Watson.

  • PhD in Psychology from Harvard University (1931).

Career Highlights

• Research: Focused on operant conditioning and behavior studies for over five years at Harvard post-PhD.

• Family: Married Yvonne Blue in 1936; had two daughters, Julie and Deborah.

Inventions

• Operant Conditioning Apparatus: Invented the Skinner box to study animal behavior through reinforcement.

• War Efforts: Developed a project during WWII to train pigeons to guide bombs, providing training assistance in the absence of missile guidance systems.

• Baby Tender: Created in 1943 for his wife; a heated crib with a plexiglass window to enhance child safety.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1966: Edward Lee Thorndike Award, American Psychological Association.

• 1968: National Medal of Science from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

• 1971: Gold Medal from the American Psychological Foundation.

• 1972: Human of the Year Award.

• 1990: Citation for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology.