Skinner B. F.

B. F. Skinner was born March 20, 1904 in Pennsylvania. He attended Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and received his undergraduate degree in English Literature. While at Hamilton college he took no courses in Psychology. After graduation he tried writing in which he found no reward, and instead attended Harvard University for graduate school in Psychology. He remained there for five years after he received his degree and conducted research "designed to identify basic laws in the behavior of organisms" (Schellenberg, 1978). Skinner then went to teach at the University of Minnesota.

During W.W.II, Skinner invented an apparatus by which pigeons could be trained to guide missiles. Although the project was a success, it was never utilized. Skinner also invented many pieces of equipment to aid in research. One such invention was the cumulative recorder which graphs the organism's behaviors. He also designed the "Skinner Box." This was a soundproof chamber which contained a lever that the organism could press in order to receive food or some other stimuli. Skinner also created the "air-crib" which was a soundproof, temperature controlling device for a baby. It made blankets and clothes obsolete and allowed the baby to view the room around him.

Skinner later moved to teach at Indiana University and turned his research interests from animals to humans. Some of his most famous research was done with his own daughters. He had two daughters with his wife, whom he married in 1936. Skinner later returned to Harvard University to continue research and to teach. He wrote several books in his lifetime such as The Behavior of the Organism (1938) and Waldon Two (1948).

Most of Skinner's research was centered around the organism in the "Skinner Box." "An experimental space contains one or more operanda such as a lever projecting from a wall which may be pressed by a rat" (Skinner, 1969). The box also contained various sources of stimuli. Skinner contributed much to the study of operant conditioning which is a change in the probability of a response due to an event that followed the initial response. "The response is instrumental in producing the consequence" (Lieberman, 1993). For example, a pigeon in the apparatus presses the lever and food is obtained. The frequency of the rat pressing the lever is increased. The food is the reinforcer or consequence which increases the behavior of lever pressing.

Skinner discriminated between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment. Positive reinforcement is when a stimuli is presented and works to strengthen or increase the probability of a response. Negative reinforcement is the removal of a stimuli that acts to increase or strengthen a response. Punishment is not the opposite of positive reinforcement. It does not increase the probability of a behavior or response. Punishment "temporarily suppresses a behavior" by removing a positive reinforcer or presenting a negative reinforcer or "aversive stimulus" (Milhollan & Forisha, 1972).