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Burrhus Fredric Skinner. Who is he?. He was born March 20 th 1904 He died August 18 th 1990 Originally wanted to ne a novelist B.A. in English from Hamilton Went to Harvard for Psychology Graduate Program. Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
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Who is he? He was born March 20th 1904 He died August 18th 1990 Originally wanted to ne a novelist B.A. in English from Hamilton Went to Harvard for Psychology Graduate Program Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten
Research He is a Psychologist Studied behaviorism Behavioral Phycology is the study of external behavior He theorized that you could change the way people think He believed that you could influence peoples behavior We shouldn’t teach great books We should teach a love of reading
Behavior He believed that behavior is sustained by reinforcements or rewards, not by free will. Developed “Operant Conditioning” Definition: type of learning in which an individual's behavior is modified by its antecedents (positive reinforcements) and consequences (negative reinforcements).
Invention He created the “Skinner Box” Placed an animal inside to monitor the animals behavior Inside the box there was a lever Would present a treat We’re positive treats
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtvrPTbQ_c
Findings • Skinner often made the analogy of his project to a casino • He found that: • 1.) Primary Conditioners → have a breaking point • 2.) Secondary Conditioners → don’t have a breaking point
Question #1 • If our behavior can be monitored and changed the way Skinner was able to get responses from the animals he tested, do we really have full self control?
Question #2 • Does Skinner “de-humanize” or “mechanize” humans?
Question #3 • Skinner is known for a quote: “Give me a child and I’ll shape them into anything”. Is this power or knowledge a dangerous tool for people to posses?
References • BF Skinner." BF Skinner. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2003/cogrev_skinner.htm>. • "B. F. Skinner." B. F. Skinner. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/Skinner.html>. • B. F. Skinner: The Life of Psychology's "Radical Behaviorist"." About Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_skinner.htm>. • Skinner - Operant Conditioning." B.F. Skinner. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html>.