Behavioral Psychology and BF Skinner - 916 Words

There was never a man more influential to Behavioral psychology than B.F. Skinner. He was well-acknowledged for his theories in behaviorism and remains as one of the best and most controversial figures in the world of psychology. Most of his work throughout his lifetime dealt with both positive and negative reinforcements and the after-effects it had on behavior. B.F. Skinner understood that as humans, everything that we do or become is through the methods of rewards and punishments. Though his time has long since passed, his ideology and his written works such as Walden II and About Behaviorism have applied behavioral theories to society and are still studied today. Burrhus Frederic Skinner – more commonly known as B.F. Skinner, was born on March 20th, 1904 in a Pennsylvanian town named Susquehanna. As a young boy, Skinner was very out-going who enjoyed tinkering and building contraptions (Burrhus Frederic Skinner, 2014). His original passion was with writing and he moved to New York in the late 1920s to pursue this writing career in Hamilton College (B.F. Skinner (1904-1990), 2014). Unfortunately, Hamilton College had views that contradicted with Skinner’s as he was an atheist and Hamilton College required a daily chapel attendance (B.F Skinner (1904-1990), 2014). He frequently published articles that criticized the school and its administration and his constant critical nature would become his occupation for the rest of his life. B.F. Skinner managed to earn hisShow MoreRelatedThe Contribution Of Edward Thorndikes Theory Of Connectionism1082 Words   |  5 Pages and where he spent most of his career. He later went on to write his doctoral dissertation while still studying comparative psychology which led to his theory on connectionism which led to the development of his three main laws the Law of Effect, the Law of Exercise, and the Law of Readiness. 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