Skinner's Theories of Behaviorism Essay Example

B.F Skinner once said, “A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.” This quote by B.F Skinner illustrates how behavior can be guided by tolerance and courage. B.F Skinner was a profound psychologist who taught multiple ways to conquer difficult behaviors. This man is known worldwide for his technique used for developing children. The history, theory, and impact he had on society are all knowledgeable components that should be acquainted.

Primarily, it is important to admire the history of the psychologist, Burrhus Frederic Skinner. It all began on March 20th, 1904 when B.F Skinner was born in a small town, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He grew up with a father, a mother, and a younger brother. His father pursued a successful career as a lawyer, while his mother remained at home and cared for the kids (“B.F Skinner”, 2014). He began his education at Hamilton College and discovered his passion for writing. He attempted to find success in the writing industry after graduating but did not succeed. However, with the pressure from his parents to succeed, he decided to return to school to study psychology. He found pleasure in analyzing psychology with inspiration from the Russian psychologist, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. He discovered an interest in the study of conditioned reflexes, as well as the study of behaviorism. (Doorey, 2009). In 1928, B.F Skinner studied psychology at Harvard University until 1931 when he received his Ph.D. He remained at Harvard as a researcher until 1936, when he decided to bring his knowledge to the University of Minnesota to become a member of the faculty. During this time, The Behavior Of Organisms was published by B.F Skinner in 1938. Later on, he moved to Indiana to become a professor of psychology at the University of Indiana. However, then went back to his origins, and continued his teaching career at Harvard University. He then began to further his research by testing his theories. All of his tests and theories came to a halting stop when B.F Skinner suddenly passed away on August 19th, 1990 at age 86. He tragically died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from an ongoing battle with Leukemia.

B.F Skinner discovered one significant theory during his time as a psychologist. He had been respected for decades for identifying behavior in deep and complex ways. He confirmed the notion that behavior is determined by its consequences. It is praise or punishment that increases or decreases the probability of the behavior happening again. He was able to prove his theory by researching and getting a better understanding of operant conditioning. As he dug deeper into the idea of ​​operant conditioning, he concluded that in the process of operant conditioning, an operant refers to any action that affects the environment and leads to consequences. Therefore, B.F. Skinner developed what is called an operant conditioning device, which later became known as the "Skinner Box". The Skinner box device was a chamber containing rods or keys that animals could push to obtain food, water, or other forms of reinforcement (Cherry, 2020). The Skinner box's main goal was to record an animal's behavior by recording when the animal performed the desired action, rewarding it, and determining how long it will take for the animal to learn to perform the behavior. This experiment was created to test the success of operant conditioning in relation to the performance of actions. Skinner's objective was to determine if the enhancements worked to improve performance and the likelihood of behavioral occurrence. 

In order to be successful in his experiment, Skinner had to inform himself about the different types of reinforcements that he would be exhibiting in the experiment. He identified two types of reinforcement, positive and negative. Positive reinforcement is an action to make a behavior occur again. On the other hand, negative reinforcement is an action that ensures a behavior will not happen again. To enhance his understanding of the behavior that the animals were exhibiting in the Skinner box, he fully understood the different types of reinforcements and behaviors and how they worked on the animals. Positive reinforcement occurs when an action is enhanced by praise or a reward. This means that when the rats were receiving food, and water when they pushed the right button, they were getting positive reinforcement. On the flip side, In the Skinner box, the rats did not have much negative reinforcement. 

After the end of his experiment, he concluded that he had identified two different types of behavior, respondent behavior, and operant behavior. B.F Skinner knew that the respondents' behavior could be automatic and reflexive. For example, if you start to fall, you are going to attempt to catch yourself. These types of actions simply occur automatically and impulsively, they are not learned behaviors. However, operant behavior requires conscious control. You have to physically choose to make the movement. However, the consequences of such actions determine whether those actions will be repeated in the future. (“Child Development Theories”, 2022). Overall, his theory about operant conditioning being able to dictate behavior was proven once he proved that the rats were able to perform with operant behavior to react to reinforcements while in the Skinner box. This experiment is known worldwide due to the impact it had on families.

All in all, B.F Skinner was monumental in the understanding of developmental psychology along with the behavior of children. Many families were affected by his experiments and discoveries and applied them to their own lives. The Skinner box created by B.F Skinner allowed families to further understand how to build relationships that would encourage positive behavior for their children (Robertson, 2018). Skinner uncovered the truth about positive reinforcement, which led a lot of mothers to be intrigued about how they could better their children using this technique. When their child would do something satisfactory, they would be rewarded, therefore, be more likely to perform that behavior again. It was life-changing. This technique is also still used today. For example, when a child performs an unacceptable behavior, such as swearing, they will get their phone taken away. This is a form of negative reinforcement and the child will now be less likely to swear in fear of the same outcome. The technique that B.F Skinner discovered has been used for decades! Overall, it is clear to see that B.F Skinner had a very positive impact on psychology. He left the rest of the psychology industry with the knowledge that an action is determined by its consequences (Berger, 2005). B.F Skinner left this world with a new way of thinking, and a technique that is used worldwide, and all of the time. The impact he left on this world and the industry of psychology is truly unexplainable and was unmatched to any other psychologist at this time. B.F Skinner was no doubt one of the most influential psychologists due to the fact that he was properly educated, dedicated, and persistent. His finding changed the world and will forever leave him as a VIP of psychology. 

The history, theory, and impact of B.F Skinner are all incredibly significant components to be knowledgeable about. The time, effort, and outcome of his experiment are all indicators of a true psychologist. Skinner was known to be the most influential psychologist in the 20th century due to his remarkable discoveries and experiments (Stewart, n.d). B.F Skinner was intelligent, dedicated, and patient. All key characteristics of a true, profound, and remarkable psychologist in American history which truly proves him to be a VIP of psychology.