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    B. F. Skinner (Burrhus Frederic Skinner)

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    Julius Anthony Tanguilan
    B.F. Skinner was an influential American psychologist known for his theory of operant conditioning. Some of his most notable contributions include developing the Skinner box for studying animal behavior experimentally, inventing the baby tender, and publishing the utopian novel Walden Two. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning posited that behavior is shaped by its consequences - behaviors followed by positive reinforcement tend to be repeated, while those followed by negative reinforcement tend to not be repeated. He used experiments with rats and pigeons to demonstrate how reinforcement and punishment can modify behavior.

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    B. F. Skinner (Burrhus Frederic Skinner)

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    Julius Anthony Tanguilan
    105 views2 pages
    B.F. Skinner was an influential American psychologist known for his theory of operant conditioning. Some of his most notable contributions include developing the Skinner box for studying animal behavior experimentally, inventing the baby tender, and publishing the utopian novel Walden Two. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning posited that behavior is shaped by its consequences - behaviors followed by positive reinforcement tend to be repeated, while those followed by negative reinforcement tend to not be repeated. He used experiments with rats and pigeons to demonstrate how reinforcement and punishment can modify behavior.

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    B.F. Skinner

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    B.F. Skinner was an influential American psychologist known for his theory of operant conditioning. Some of his most notable contributions include developing the Skinner box for studying animal behavior experimentally, inventing the baby tender, and publishing the utopian novel Walden Two. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning posited that behavior is shaped by its consequences - behaviors followed by positive reinforcement tend to be repeated, while those followed by negative reinforcement tend to not be repeated. He used experiments with rats and pigeons to demonstrate how reinforcement and punishment can modify behavior.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    105 views2 pages

    B. F. Skinner (Burrhus Frederic Skinner)

    Uploaded by

    Julius Anthony Tanguilan
    B.F. Skinner was an influential American psychologist known for his theory of operant conditioning. Some of his most notable contributions include developing the Skinner box for studying animal behavior experimentally, inventing the baby tender, and publishing the utopian novel Walden Two. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning posited that behavior is shaped by its consequences - behaviors followed by positive reinforcement tend to be repeated, while those followed by negative reinforcement tend to not be repeated. He used experiments with rats and pigeons to demonstrate how reinforcement and punishment can modify behavior.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    B. F.

    SKINNER (BURRHUS FREDERIC SKINNER)


    1904-1990
    Behaviorist, Psychologist, Author, Inventor, and Social Philosopher

    MOST NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS


    The Skinner box. This was an apparatus which he used for an operant
    conditioning to have a more objective and measured way to study behavior. He used
    rodents and pigeons for experimentation and observed their behavioral patterns
    towards food access. He then concluded that some form of reinforcement was crucial in
    learning new behaviors.
    The Baby tender. The baby tender is actually an invention which was used as a
    crib for his second daughter. This was a clear box which was heated so that the baby
    wouldn’t need blankets. Additionally, there were no slats or strips of materials which
    may lead to possible injuries to the baby.
    The Walden Two. This was Skinner’s famous fiction novel which interpreted
    human behavior. It proposed a utopian type of society which were led to be good
    citizens through behavior modification. However, this work of his was criticized because
    it lacked credibility due to the exclusion of real and actual human aspect.
    Theory on Behaviorism. According to him, learning may come in the form of
    operant conditioning effected through rewards and punishments. It is the association
    between a particular behaviour and a certain consequence. This theory proposed by the
    latter, was considered as a new form of learning. This became a trend in behavioral
    psychology and was popularly known as ‘operant conditioning’. His study rooted from
    the classical conditioning proposed by behaviorists who flourished before him.
    He believed that learning can be understood well by looking at the causes of an
    action and its consequences. Thus, he was considered as the father of “Operant
    Conditioning”. As concluded by him, a behavior subsequently followed by a positive or
    pleasant consequence is likely to be repeated, while a behavior followed by a negative
    or unpleasant consequence is less likely to be repeated.
    Thus, the term “reinforcement” was introduced by him which refers to the good
    consequences in order to make a person behave in a nice way when such behaviour is
    being rewarded. Hence, the theory that a behavior which is reinforced is repeated while
    a behavior that is not reinforced tends to die-out or be extinguished. In his experiment
    using the “Skinner Box”, he identified three responses.
    These are:
    a. neutral operants (responses from the environment which neither decrease nor
    increase the probability that such behavior will berepeated);
    b. reinforcers (responses from the environment which increase the probability
    that such behavior will be repeated); and
    c. punishers (responses from the environment which decrease the probability
    that such behavior will be repeated)
    He experimented by putting rats into the “Skinner box” which contained a lever
    that would drop a pellet (food) into a container. By observation, the rat learned to knock
    or put pressure into the lever so that food will come out. This experiment showed how
    “positive reinforcements” apply to behavior.
    On the other hand, he experimented an adverse outcome by subjecting the rat to
    unpleasant electric current which caused the rat some discomfort. The rats need to put
    some pressure on the lever so the electricity will be put off. The rats thereafter learned
    to immediately put off the electric current by moving the lever. This showed how
    “negative reinforcements” apply to behavior.
    These responses are affected by the reinforcements given. When a negative
    reinforcement is given, the behavior is not repeated. However, acts may not be
    repeated not merely by giving negative reinforcements but by simply removing the
    positive reinforcement. On the other hand, an act is not simply repeated because of a
    positive reinforcement but simply by giving negative reinforcements which only stops
    when an action is made repetitively.
    With this study, Skinner positively identified two rates affected by these
    reinforcements. These two are: the response rate (the rate at which a person reacts or
    acts) and the extinction rate (the rate at which a person’s reaction or action dies out).
    Skinner also identified schedules of reinforcements which include:
    a. continuous reinforcement (every action is positively reinforced)
    b. fixed ratio reinforcement (reinforcement only comes after several repetitive
    actions)
    c. fixed interval reinforcement (reinforcement only comes after a fixed or definite
    period of time)
    d. variable ratio reinforcement (reinforcement comes after an unpredictable or
    unidentifiable number of times)
    e. variable interval reinforcement (reinforcement only comes after one correct
    response has been made and after an unpredictable amount of time)
    In education, it is a simple way to shape a student’s behavior. This means that
    the student’s good behavior is only repeated when there is a positive reinforcement.
    With this study, teachers are guided on how to shape the students’ behavior by the use
    of rewards and punishment.

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