B.F. Skinner

Definition: Burrhus Frederic Skinner, commonly known as B.F. Skinner, was an American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher.

Contributions: Skinner is best known for developing the theory of operant conditioning, which emphasizes the influence of consequences on behavior.

Skinner Box: One of Skinner’s notable inventions was the operant conditioning chamber, often referred to as the Skinner Box, which was used for studying animal behavior.

Behaviorism: Skinner was a key figure in the behaviorist movement, which rejected the emphasis on internal mental processes in favor of studying observable behaviors and their environmental determinants.

Verbal Behavior: Aside from his work on operant conditioning, Skinner also extensively studied verbal behavior and advocated for its analysis and understanding within a behavioral framework.

Walden Two: Skinner’s novel “Walden Two” presented a fictional utopian society based on principles of behaviorism and introduced the concept of a “skinner box” for human behavior.