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Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 - August 18, 1990) was an
American psychologist.
He was born in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.
Skinner was mainly responsible for the development of the philosophy of radical behaviorism and the further development of behavioral techniques in psychology resulting in behavior analysis,
an off-shoot of psychology which aims towards developing a unified theory of animal and human behavior based on principles of
learning. He demonstrated operant conditioning and
developed this technique in contrast to classical conditioning. Important areas included shaping behavior, punishment, positive
and negative reinforcement, and effect of such conditioning on future behaviors.
One of Skinner's most famous and interesting experiments examined the formation of superstition in one of his favorite experimental animals, the pigeon. Skinner placed a series of hungry pigeons in a cage attached to an automatic mechanism that delivered food
to the pigeon "at regular intervals with no reference whatsoever to the bird's behavior". He discovered that the pigeons
associated the delivery of the food with whatever chance actions they had been performing as it was delivered, and that they
continued to perform the same actions:
- One bird was conditioned to turn counter-clockwise about the cage, making two or three turns between reinforcements. Another
repeatedly thrust its head into one of the upper corners of the cage. A third developed a 'tossing' response, as if placing its
head beneath an invisible bar and lifting it repeatedly. Two birds developed a pendulum motion of the head and body, in which the
head was extended forward and swung from right to left with a sharp movement followed by a somewhat slower return.
("'Superstition' in the Pigeon", B.F. Skinner, Journal of Experimental Psychology #38, 1947 [1]
)
Skinner suggested that the pigeons believed that they were influencing the automatic mechanism with their "rituals" and that
the experiment also shed light on human behavior:
- The experiment might be said to demonstrate a sort of superstition. The bird behaves as if there were a causal relation
between its behavior and the presentation of food, although such a relation is lacking. There are many analogies in human
behavior. Rituals for changing one's luck at cards are good examples. A few accidental connections between a ritual and favorable
consequences suffice to set up and maintain the behavior in spite of many unreinforced instances. The bowler who has released a
ball down the alley but continues to behave as if he were controlling it by twisting and turning his arm and shoulder is another
case in point. These behaviors have, of course, no real effect upon one's luck or upon a ball half way down an alley, just as in
the present case the food would appear as often if the pigeon did nothing -- or, more strictly speaking, did something else.
(Ibid.)
In the early 1930's Skinner once dated Mary Pezzati who would become the mother of Suze Rotolo who dated Bob Dylan in the early 1960's.
See also: Supernaturalization
Skinner is popularly known mainly for his books Walden Two and
Beyond
Freedom and Dignity.
Walden Two describes a visit to an imaginary utopian commune in the 1950s United States, where the
productivity and happiness of the citizens is far in advance of that in the outside world due to their practice of scientific
social planning and operant conditioning of children.
Beyond Freedom and Dignity advances the thesis that obsolete social concepts, like "freedom"
and "dignity", are threatening the survival of the human species and, again, advocates widespread operant conditioning of human
beings to ensure productive and happy citizens.
B.F. Skinner - Bibliography
- About
Behaviorism
- The Analysis of Behavior: A Program for Self Instruction by James
G. Holland & B. F. Skinner
- The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis
- Beyond Freedom and Dignity
- Contingencies of Reinforcement: A Theoretical Analysis
- Cumulative Record: A Selection of Papers (this book includes the authentic account
of the much-misrepresented "Baby in a box" device).
- Enjoy Old Age
- A Matter of Consequences: Part Three of an Autobiography
- Notebooks (book)
by B. F. Skinner & Robert Epstein (Ed.)
- Particulars of My Life: Part One of an Autobiography
- Recent Issues in the Analysis of Behavior
- Reflections on Behaviorism and Society
- Schedules of Reinforcement by C. B. Ferster & B. F. Skinner
- Science and Human Behavior
- The Shaping of a Behaviorist: Part Two of an Autobiography
- Skinner
for the Classroom by R. Epstein (Ed.) & B. F. Skinner
- The
Technology of Teaching
- Upon
Further Reflection
- Verbal Behavior
- Walden Two
External links
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