Who was Burrhus Frederic Skinner?
Q: Who was Burrhus Frederic Skinner?
A: Burrhus Frederic Skinner was a leading American psychologist and author. He was the leading behaviorist in psychology and built on the work of John B. Watson, adding the idea of operant conditioning.
Q: What effects did Skinner's work have?
A: Skinner's work had effects on education (programmed learning) and on behavior therapy for various psychological problems.
Q: Where did Skinner teach?
A: Skinner was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974, and then Emeritus Professor until 1990.
Q: What did Skinner want to do with society?
A: Skinner was also a social philosopher who wanted to change society, and wrote a eutopian novel, in which the science of human behavior is used to eliminate poverty, sexual oppression, government as we know it, and create a lifestyle without war.
Q: What else did he write besides his novel?
A: Besides his novel, he wrote poetry and three volumes of autobiography.
Q: How did Watson's work influence Skinner's ideas?
A: Watson's work influenced Skinner by providing him with an understanding of visible behaviors that he could build upon when developing his own theories about operant conditioning.
