B.F.

Skinner
1904-1990

Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten.
- B.F. Skinner

Who is B.F. Skinner?

Burrhus Frederic Skinner Radical Behaviorist
Born on March 20, 1904 is Susquehanna, PA Died of Leukemia on August 18, 1990
Believed that behaviors are factors that are influenced by reinforcement and rewards, and that people can be controlled by systematically being reinforced.

Education and Profession

Attended Hamilton College in New York
with the intent to be a writer

Received his B.A. in English Literature from Harvard

Wanted to be writer of fiction, but quickly realized he had little world experience .

Received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard

Was interested in Watsons Behaviorism

Remained at Harvard for 5 years as a Researcher Taught at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis Chair of the Psychology Department at Indiana University Returned to Harvard in 1958 as a tenured professor, where he stayed for the remainder of his life.

For What is Skinner Known?

Operant Conditioning
Focusing on the cause of an action and its response Theory was based on the work on Thorndikes Law of Effect Introduction of the term Reinforcement as the strengthening of behaviors. The idea was that behaviors that are reinforced will be repeated, while behaviors that are not reinforced will not continue. Belief that through Operant Conditioning, behaviors can be shaped. Skinner states that everything we do is somehow shaped by the system of rewards and punishments that we experience.

How did Skinner Test Operant Conditioning?

Skinner Box

How did the Skinner Box Work?

Rats were kept at 3/4 their normal weight so they would always be hungry. They would then be put in the box and as they moved around would accidentally hit a lever that was placed on the side of the box. Upon hitting the lever, a pellet of food would be distributed. The rats quickly learned that they would be rewarded with food if they hit the lever. Schedule of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement gave constant reward every time a specific action was performed. Interval Schedule based around time intervals between reinforcements.
Fixed Interval reinforcements were presented at fixed time periods, as long as the appropriate response was made Variable Intervals when behavior is reinforced and rewards are given based on an average time that has expired since the previous reinforcement.

Ratio Schedule based on the ratio of response to reinforcement

Fixed Ratio reinforcement is given after a certain number of responses have been made Variable Ratio reinforcement is made based on a particular average number of responses

Terms to Know
Positive Reinforcement strengthens behavior by giving a consequence that an individual finds rewarding.
The consequence of the rat receiving food in the Skinner box was a positive reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement the removal of an adverse stimulus that the subject finds undesirable.
With a rat in the Skinner box, unpleasant electric current was introduced, if the lever was hit, the current would be shut off. Then a light was presented prior to the electric current being introduced. The rats quickly learned to hit the lever upon seeing the light to keep the electric current from being switched on.

Punishment designed to weaken or eliminate a response.

Punishment can work by either applying an unpleasant stimulus or removing a rewarding stimulus.

Operant Conditioning in the Big Bang Theory

Operant Conditioning - YouTube

How can Operant Conditioning be applied in the classroom?

Reinforce positive, desirable behavior rather than punish for undesirable behavior Skinner believes that any age-appropriate task can be taught using five principles:
Give students immediate feedback, Break tasks down into small, easy to follow steps, Repeat directions as often as possible, Work from the most simple task to the most complex, Give positive reinforcement!

Work Cited

Cherry, K. (n.d.). B.F. Skinner Biography (1904-1990). Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_skinner.htm A Science Odyssey, People And Discoveries. (n.d.). B.F. Skinner. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html McLeod, S. (2007). Simply Psychology. Skinner Operant Conditioning. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html Wikipedia (n.d.). B.F. Skinner. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner Ormrod, J. (2011). Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, Seventh Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.