Background on B.F. Skinner

Burrus Frederic Skinner (B.F. Skinner) was an American psychologist best known for his extensive research into the learning process and his strong belief in a planned society. B.F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Hamilton College in 1926 he became fascinated in the work of some famous behavioral psychologists. In 1931, Skinner received his P.h.D. in psychology from Harvard. He then spent several years examining how animals learn and the functions of the central nervous system. Shortly after, Skinner was involved in Project Pigeon during World War II. In 1936, Skinner married Yvonne Blue. They had two daughters. The second child, Deborah became well known because she spent the first two years of her life in Skinner's famous "baby box." In 1945, Skinner became chairman of the Department of Psychology at Indiana University. He then joined the Department of Psychology at Harvard in 1948 and had the privilege of studying with many exceptional graduates. In 1953, after visiting one his daughters fourth grade classrooms Skinner started to develop teaching machines and programmed instruction. Skinner published many books including the fictional book Walden II. Skinner also wrote several professional articles and three autobiographical volumes. Sadly, in 1989 he was diagnosed with leukemia and died a year later on August 18, 1990.

Skinner in the Classroom

B.F. Skinner’s insights on behaviorism are very relevant to the modern classroom’s practices and forms of curriculum. Since behaviorism is the study of reaction and the catalysts of reaction, it is suitable to associate behaviorism within the classroom environment. In today’s classroom a habitat of learning is provoked. Therefore, the advantages of learning should take place once students are immersed in the environment. Knowledge should be the result when a student is learning. With the proper rituals and routines that serve as the vehicle for learning to take place, students are to adhere to the activities that they are being held accountable to perform in only if the surroundings make it possible.
Learning is behavior, a behavior that is produced when an environment is built to receive that type of behavior. Education is an advantage to any individual and to others that they come into contact with.
Teaching is a very difficult task to do. Not only does a teacher have to explain to students how to do a specific skill but also make it understandable and relevant so children will want to learn the doctrine. Skinner sought to accomplish this difficult mission through programmed instruction. Programmed Instruction is sequencing material by breaking it up into small steps. So as time goes on students will be able to work independently and performance will improve.

Major Contributions By BF Skinner

B.F. Skinner is a well talked-about member of the behaviorism field. Behaviorism is broken down into three claims. The first claim being that psychology is not the science of the mind but the science of behavior. The second claim is that behavior is not an internal process but rather is caused by external forces. Finally, the third claim is that mental terms or concepts should be replaced with behavioral terms, but still also the mental terms and concepts can be translated into behavioral concepts and terms.
Skinner was known to prac
tice radical behaviorism, which is described as a sub-type of psychological behaviorism. One of Skinner’s most well known contributions was the story Walden Two, a book constructed on the personal beliefs of Skinner. Within the tale, Skinner drew a picture of an ideal society. This society is built around behavioral ideals. Skinner’s personal belief that person’s historical environment interactions control their behavior rant rampant.
B.F. Skinner was also a part of Project Pigeon during World War II. Within the project, Skinner trained pigeons to lead missiles to their targets by pecking a target. Although the project was canceled due to the development of radar, Skinner found pigeons to be better test subjects than rats. One of Skinner’s most famous achievements was the Baby Tender. Although the invention later became know as “baby in a box”, the original idea was thought of by his wife Yvonne. While pregnant, Yvonne asked her husband to make a safer crib for their child. What Skinner came up with an enclosed crib that was heated. The crib had a Plexiglas window for the mother to see in and watch after the baby. Although the intention was for the child to only sleep in the crib, which is all that his daughter did, it was made out to be a monstrous machine.
Skinner also developed a teaching machine. After sitting in on one of his daughter’s math classes, skinner found that the students were being ineffectually taught due to the lack of feedback during the process of solving the problems on their assignments. Skinner saw that the students that did not understand the work were continuing to recreate the incorrect process through each of the math problems. With his teaching machine, Skinner was able to give immediate feedback to the student as to correct the incorrect process being done.

Applications of Theories Parents May Find Helpful

This blog is to provide parents at home a perspective on the history of behaviorism and how behaviorism can relate to a child's education, in specific the theories of Burrhus Frederick Skinner. Behaviorism generally became popular in the early twentieth century, with psychologists such as E.C. Tolman, Pavlov, and E.R. Guthrie doing experiments and writing about behaviorism. The most widely known example of behaviorist research is Pavlov's experiments with conditioning dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell, by feeding them every time he rang a bell. This is not the kind of behaviorism we would recommend for parents trying to help their students outside the classroom. Skinner believed that a person's surroundings effect how they act. So if a child has a supportive and education rich home then it follows in Skinners version of behaviorism that a child will be more successful in his or her education. Also Skinner's Theories on Reinforcement tells us that a student can learn anything if he or she is exposed to the subject enough. So parents, if your child is having trouble with learning to read, write, do mathematics or any subject, just be patient with them. Not every student will progress at the same rate as the class or in the same sequence. Focus on what they already know and use gentle repetition to help them learn, this does not have to be a chore! Make games that you and your child can do together. For example, to help them learn the alphabet give your child a sheet with one or two letters on them and while driving have them identify and say out loud the letters from their sheet that they see on licence plates. For mathematics make cut out numbers or flash cards and jumble them up on a table, then select two or more ramdom numbers and have your child add, subtract, multipy or divide them. Get creative, there are also many game ideas online! www.funbrain.com is a great site to start.