Bf skinner full name

B.f. skinner contribution to psychology
B.f. skinner impact on child development
Bf skinner experiment

•

The Shaping of a Behaviorist

August 5, 2024

THE SECOND OF THREE VOLUMES OF SKINNER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) was an American psychologist, social philosopher, and author. He was a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974, and perhaps the most influential behaviorist of the 20th century. His most famous books are 'Verbal Behavior,' 'Beyond Freedom & Dignity' and 'Walden Two.' The other volumes are 'Particulars of My Life' and 'A Matter of Consequences.'

After being asked to give a colloquium, he mused during its preparation, "At the beginning of the experimental session, a rat eats rather rapidly, but, as the rate falls off, there are pauses between pellets... during which the rat moves rather aimlessly about the box... In my experiment the only thing the rat had to do was to decide: to eat or not to eat. But the decision was made FOR the rat... by some orderly physiological change." (Pg. 61) His friend Fred Keller said of Skinner, "'Burrhus says a thing in its most extreme form and takes some of it back

•

This brief autobiography was written for E.G. Boring and G. Lindzey's A History of Psychology in Autobiography (Vol. 5) (New York: Appleton Century-Crofts, 1967, pp. 387-413) and has been republished in P.B. Dews's Festscbrift for B.F. Skinner (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1970, pp. 1-21). Since about 1973, Skinner has been at work on a more comprehensive autobiography, two volumes of which are no longer in print -- Particulars of My Life (1976), which covers the period before he entered graduate school, and The Shaping of a Behaviorist (1979), which covers Skinner's early professional life until he became a professor at Harvard in 1948. (This paragraph was part of the editor's note in Skinner for the Classroom: Selected Papers. Edited by Robert Epstein [1982], Research Press.

The third volume, A Matter of Consequences (1983) is also out of print. The foundation plans to reprint these volumes in the near future. An authoritative biography of Skinner is, B.F. Skinner, A Life, by Daniel W. Bjork, 1993, Basic Books. Also a fine set of reflections on Skinner's re

•

B.F. Skinner

(1904-1990)

Who Was B.F. Skinner?

Psychologist B.F. Skinner began working on ideas of human behavior after earning his doctorate from Harvard. Skinner's works include The Behavior of Organisms (1938) and a novel based on his theories Walden Two (1948). He explored behaviorism in relation to society in later books, including Beyond Freedom and Human Dignity (1971).

Early Life

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born on March 20, 1904, in the small town of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, where he also grew up. His father was a lawyer and his mother stayed home to care for Skinner and his younger brother. At an early age, Skinner showed an interest in building different gadgets and contraptions.

As a student at Hamilton College, B.F. Skinner developed a passion for writing. He tried to become a professional writer after graduating in 1926, but with little success. Two years later, Skinner decided to pursue a new direction for his life. He enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology.

The Skinner Box

At Harvard, B.F. Skinner looked for a more objective and me