B. F. Skinner

B. F. Skinner ( (https://alchetron.com/B-F-Skinner-1338868-W))

"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." (Skinner). Skinner has had an exhilarating career involved with psychology. " ...in Greenwich Village he enrolled for graduate studies at Harvard University, where he earned his doctorate in psychology in 1931... In 1945 Skinner became chair of the psychology department at Indiana University, but three years later returned to Harvard as a professor, where he remained for the rest of his academic career." (MacHan) B. F. Skinner, an American psychologist, believes that human behavior is a product of our environment. He determined the concept operant conditioning, which is a type of learning where a person's behavior is controlled by sequences. Skinner's studies helped humans make sense of people's behavior, and this is what makes him a hero.

B. F. Skinner ( (http://www.nndb.com/people/297/000022231/))

B. F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904 in Pennsylvania. He was your average child growing up. Joyful, healthy, fit, went to school, hung out with friends; usual kid stuff. At first he didn't know what he wanted to do for a living. Skinner first went to Hamilton College, New York and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. He was initially going to be a writer, then one of his friend persuaded him to try psychology. B. F. Skinner enrolled for graduate studies at Harvard University and graduated. After he became a college professor in Minnesota, "In 1945 he became chair of the psychology department at Indiana University, but three years later returned to Harvard as a professor, where he remained for the rest of his academic career." (MacHan). At 70 years old, Skinner retired from Harvard but still continued to work, until he began to lose his vision and started "developing glaucoma in his right eye"(Moloney). Skinner was diagnosed with leukemia in November 1989. "Almost a year after the diagnosis, Fred Skinner appeared in front of his colleagues and critics one last time on August 10, 1990, to receive the first APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology. Eight days later, on August 18, 1990, B.F. Skinner died in Cambridge, Massachusetts."(Moloney).

Skinner/Wikicommons ()

Skinner was a major influence on education everywhere. He believed there were two purposes for education; to teach verbal and nonverbal behavior, and to get students attention in learning. You can control students by positive reinforcements, rather than punishments. All that   students learn from a punishment is how to avoid them. To learn, students must engage in behavior and not passively receive information (to be lectured). "From 1956 to 1962 Skinner's views on education, behavioral technology, and human nature were aired in a well-known series of debates with the humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers."(Lawrence). Many have learned from Skinner's techniques. The key concepts are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment.  These theories really changed the way students receive information and become educated.

B. F. Skinner is an inspiration who made great scientific discoveries. Tibor MacHan explains in his article, "Skinner's work centered on the idea of operant conditioning. Unlike classical behaviorism, operant conditioning is the idea that as living organisms move about in their environments, behaviors that meet with reinforcing stimuli will be promoted, and other behaviors will not."(MacHan). Skinner was focused on one form of psychology, which made him intelligent on the concept of operant conditioning. "His experimental research and theoretical work provided new views of language, thinking, problem solving and creativity. His ideas have been put to practical use in business, medicine and special education." (Vargas and Chance). All the work he has done during his life was greatly appreciated and will forever be useful for our species.

B. F. Skinner ( (http://www.haciendapub.com/articles/critique-psychologist-b-f-skinner%E2%80%99s-beyond-freedom-an))

Mr. Burrhus Frederic Skinner was a true hero in my opinion because of his contributions to psychological theory. His infamous research on positive and negative reinforcements shaped the concept of operant conditioning. Skinner is an American psychologist, who determined the concept operant conditioning and believes that human behavior is a product of our environment. What makes him a hero, is that his work helps people understand human behavior. His work also has tremendous influence on education, helping students learn better, and teachers teach better. As a student, I appreciate his research, as it helps me learn easier. "A person who has been punished is not thereby simply less inclined to behave in a given way; at best, he learns how to avoid punishment." (Skinner). In the classroom, haven't you noticed that punishment doesn't help one learn material? All it teaches the kid is how to avoid punishments. B. F. Skinner is a true hero and has made helpful contributions to the world.

Works Cited

"B(urrhus) F(rederic) Skinner." Contemporary Authors Online. Gale Biography In Context, 2003. Web. 5 Sept. 2003.

MacHan, Tibor. "B.F. Skinner." Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Gale Biography In Context, 2005. Web.

McLeod, Saul. "Skinner - Operant Conditioning." B.F. Skinner | Operant Conditioning | Simply Psychology. Simply Psychology, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.Smith, Laurence D. "B. F. Skinner." American National Biography (2010): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 16 Jan. 2017

Moloney, Sean. "B.F. Skinner." B.F. Skinner. Pennsylvania Center for the Book, 2009. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

Vargas, Julie S., and Paul Chance. "The depths of genius; B.F. Skinner was the most influential

behavioral scientist of the 20th century. His daughter Julie Vargas, Ph.D., takes us inside his basement office to help us understand why. (Feature)." Psychology Today, May-June 2002, p. 52+. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A87022802/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=e636222b. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017.