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[[Image:Skinner.jpg|thumb|right|BF Skinner]]
* Played the role of [[Tom Brennan]]
 
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Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist and author. He conducted pioneering work on experimental psychology and advocated behaviorism, which seeks to understand behavior as a function of environmental histories of reinforcement. He also wrote a number of controversial works in which he proposed the widespread use of psychological behavior modification techniques (primarily operant conditioning) in order to improve society and increase human happiness.
   
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==Important Theories==
==BACKGROUND==
 
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===Skinner Box===
*Brother of actor Sean Astin.
 
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An operant conditioning chamber (usually Skinner box) is a laboratory apparatus used in experimental psychology to study animal cognition. The Skinner box is named after its inventor, the behaviorist B.F. Skinner, who created the device while a graduate student at Harvard University around 1930. They are used to study both classical conditioning (especially autoshaping) and operant conditioning.
*Son of Patty Duke and John Astin.
 
*Dropped out of Johns Hopkins University, where he majored in history.
 
*Brother-in-law of producer Christine Astin.
 
*Uncle of actress Alexandra Astin and Elizabeth Louise Astin.
 
*Dominic Monaghan was his roommate for a while. Mackenzie later made a guest appearance on Dominic's TV show, "Lost" (2005).
 
*Nephew of Ray Duke.
 
*Has three other half brothers: David, Allen and Tom
 
   
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The structure forming the shell of a chamber is a three-dimensional box large enough to easily accommodate the organism being used as a subject. Common model organisms used include rodents (usually brown rats), pigeons, and non-human primates.
[[Category:Cast]]
 
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Skinner boxes have at least one operandum (or "manipulandum") that can automatically detect the occurrence of a behavioral response or action. Typical operanda for primates and rats are response levers; if the subject presses the lever, the opposite end moves and closes a switch that is monitored by a computer or other programmed device. Typical operanda for pigeons and other birds are response keys with a switch that closes if the bird pecks at the key with sufficient force. The other minimal requirement of a conditioning chamber is that it have a means of delivering a primary reinforcer or unconditioned stimulus like food (usually pellets) or water.
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With such a simple configuration, one operandum and one feeder, it is possible to investigate uncountable psychological phenomena. Modern Skinner boxes typically have many operanda, like many response levers, two or more feeders, and a variety of devices capable of generating much stimuli, including lights, sounds, music, figures, and drawings.
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===Social Engineering===
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Skinner is popularly known mainly for his controversial books ''Walden Two'' and ''Beyond Freedom and Dignity''. ''Walden Two'' describes a visit to an imaginary utopian commune in the 1940s United States, where the productivity and happiness of the citizens is far in advance of that in the outside world due to their practice of scientific social planning and the use of operant conditioning in the raising of children. ''Walden Two'', like Thoreau's ''Walden'', champions a lifestyle that doesn't foster competition and social strife and doesn't support war. It favors and encourages a lifestyle of minimal consumption, rich social relationships, personal happiness, satisfying work and leisure.
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''Beyond Freedom and Dignity'' advanced the thesis that obsolete social concepts, like free will and human dignity (by which Skinner meant belief in individual autonomy) stood in the way of greater human happiness and productivity. Skinner was just as opposed to inhumane treatment and bad government as many, and perhaps more than some, but he argued that the champions of freedom went so far as to deny causality in human action so they could champion the "free person." So the champions of freedom were, in a sense, the enemies of a scientific way of knowing. There is a rough parallel here to the book ''Higher Supersitition'' in the opposition to scientific knowledge, except Skinner here is being much more general.
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Dignity is the practice of giving individuals credit for their actions. To say "Skinner is brilliant" means that Skinner is an originating force. If Skinner is right, he is merely the locus of his environment. He is a not an originating force and he had no choice in saying the things he said or doing the things he did. Skinner's environment and genetics allowed and made him write his book. This is not to say that that means it is not true. The environment and genetics of the advocates of freedom and dignity make them fight the reality of their activity being grounded in determinism.
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===Rumors===
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One often-repeated story claims that Skinner ventured into human experiments by raising his daughter Deborah in a Skinner box, which led to her life-long mental illness and a bitter resentment towards her father.
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This is not true as shown here. [http://www.snopes.com/science/skinner.asp Snopes.com - Skinner Baby]
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In fact, the Air-Crib, Skinner's term for his version of the baby crib, was heated, cooled, had filtered air, allowed plenty of space to walk around in, and was much like a miniature version of a modern home. It was designed to make the baby more confident, more comfortable, less sick, less prone to cry, and so on. Reportedly it had some success in these goals.
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===Related Reading===
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[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0029290406/freakscene?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1 Science And Human Behavior]
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[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0872207781/freakscene?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1 Walden Two]
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[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0872206270/freakscene?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1 Beyond Freedom and Dignity]
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[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394716183/freakscene?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1 About Behaviorism]
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[[Category:Cultural references]][[Category:Science]]

Revision as of 19:20, 24 March 2006

File:Skinner.jpg

BF Skinner

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist and author. He conducted pioneering work on experimental psychology and advocated behaviorism, which seeks to understand behavior as a function of environmental histories of reinforcement. He also wrote a number of controversial works in which he proposed the widespread use of psychological behavior modification techniques (primarily operant conditioning) in order to improve society and increase human happiness.

Important Theories

Skinner Box

An operant conditioning chamber (usually Skinner box) is a laboratory apparatus used in experimental psychology to study animal cognition. The Skinner box is named after its inventor, the behaviorist B.F. Skinner, who created the device while a graduate student at Harvard University around 1930. They are used to study both classical conditioning (especially autoshaping) and operant conditioning.

The structure forming the shell of a chamber is a three-dimensional box large enough to easily accommodate the organism being used as a subject. Common model organisms used include rodents (usually brown rats), pigeons, and non-human primates.

Skinner boxes have at least one operandum (or "manipulandum") that can automatically detect the occurrence of a behavioral response or action. Typical operanda for primates and rats are response levers; if the subject presses the lever, the opposite end moves and closes a switch that is monitored by a computer or other programmed device. Typical operanda for pigeons and other birds are response keys with a switch that closes if the bird pecks at the key with sufficient force. The other minimal requirement of a conditioning chamber is that it have a means of delivering a primary reinforcer or unconditioned stimulus like food (usually pellets) or water.

With such a simple configuration, one operandum and one feeder, it is possible to investigate uncountable psychological phenomena. Modern Skinner boxes typically have many operanda, like many response levers, two or more feeders, and a variety of devices capable of generating much stimuli, including lights, sounds, music, figures, and drawings.

Social Engineering

Skinner is popularly known mainly for his controversial books Walden Two and Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Walden Two describes a visit to an imaginary utopian commune in the 1940s United States, where the productivity and happiness of the citizens is far in advance of that in the outside world due to their practice of scientific social planning and the use of operant conditioning in the raising of children. Walden Two, like Thoreau's Walden, champions a lifestyle that doesn't foster competition and social strife and doesn't support war. It favors and encourages a lifestyle of minimal consumption, rich social relationships, personal happiness, satisfying work and leisure.

Beyond Freedom and Dignity advanced the thesis that obsolete social concepts, like free will and human dignity (by which Skinner meant belief in individual autonomy) stood in the way of greater human happiness and productivity. Skinner was just as opposed to inhumane treatment and bad government as many, and perhaps more than some, but he argued that the champions of freedom went so far as to deny causality in human action so they could champion the "free person." So the champions of freedom were, in a sense, the enemies of a scientific way of knowing. There is a rough parallel here to the book Higher Supersitition in the opposition to scientific knowledge, except Skinner here is being much more general.

Dignity is the practice of giving individuals credit for their actions. To say "Skinner is brilliant" means that Skinner is an originating force. If Skinner is right, he is merely the locus of his environment. He is a not an originating force and he had no choice in saying the things he said or doing the things he did. Skinner's environment and genetics allowed and made him write his book. This is not to say that that means it is not true. The environment and genetics of the advocates of freedom and dignity make them fight the reality of their activity being grounded in determinism.

Rumors

One often-repeated story claims that Skinner ventured into human experiments by raising his daughter Deborah in a Skinner box, which led to her life-long mental illness and a bitter resentment towards her father.

This is not true as shown here. Snopes.com - Skinner Baby

In fact, the Air-Crib, Skinner's term for his version of the baby crib, was heated, cooled, had filtered air, allowed plenty of space to walk around in, and was much like a miniature version of a modern home. It was designed to make the baby more confident, more comfortable, less sick, less prone to cry, and so on. Reportedly it had some success in these goals.

Related Reading

Science And Human Behavior

Walden Two

Beyond Freedom and Dignity

About Behaviorism