F. Skinner s Theory Of Psychology Essay - 2523 Words

B F Skinner was one of the most influential behaviourist in psychology. He introduced a lot of new theories from his work and has been studied by many for years. Skinner particularly focused on behaviour patterns of animals and people, of course. He was very popular for his â€Å"Skinner Box† experiment. Skinner Box is used for conditioning animals like pigeons and rats to behave in desired ways such as running through a maze, playing tunes on a keyboard, or pressing levers (McLeod, 2007). Skinner also influenced the education field through his theory that behaviour was important and good behaviour should be reinforced with rewards and bad behaviour should be negatively reinforced or punished (McLeod, 2007). Skinner is known as the father of Operant Conditioning and introduced a new term Reinforcement as his work was based on Thorndike’s Law of Effect. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the participant gets a reinforcer only after performing an anticipated response, thus learns a relationship between the response and the reinforcer. This also concerned with the learning of new voluntary behaviour. (Gleitman, Gross, Reisberg, 2010). Operant conditioning is explained that with every behaviour, there are consequences and these consequences determine future behaviour (Department of Psychology, 2014). Edward Thorndike (1874-1935) conducted a research to examine whether animals could think and solve problems (Alsop, 2014). He used different puzzle boxes in hisShow MoreRelatedCarl Rogers Vs. F. Skinner : Which Perspective Is The Most Important?1419 Words   |  6 Pages Carl Rogers vs B. F. Skinner – Which Perspective is the Most Important? A long-debated argument in the field of Psychology has been which theory or explanation of human behavior is the most important and the most viable. Is B. F. Skinner’s theory that behavior is the result of man’s response to external stimuli or is Carl Rogers’ theory that man’s behavior is the result of his determination to achieve self-actualization the best explanation? After much research and thought, I will argue in favorRead MoreF. Skinner s Operant Conditioning Theory1356 Words   |  6 PagesBurrhus F. Skinner or more commonly known as B. F. Skinner is regarded as one of the most influential psychologists in the world by his peers. In comparison to other behaviorist Skinners approach was referred to as radical behaviorism. Behaviorist search to find answers to how humans behave through observations in the environment not in the mind (Conversation 1973). Specifically, B. F. Skinner was not interested in theories that involve speculation, but more importantly theories that could be provenRead MoreSkinner And His Contribution On Behaviorism And Operant Conditioning1500 Words   |  6 Pagesimportant topic and has been studied by many psychologists for many years now. B.F. Skinner was known as one of the most controversial intellectual figures of the late twentieth century who introduced behavior analysis and the idea of reinforcement (Myers, 2010). Skinner developed much of his work based from the law of effect by Edward Thorndike, who was also known as a philosopher. This research paper will focus on B.F. Skinner and his contribution on behaviorism and operant conditioning. This paper willRead MoreBehaviorism And Classical Conditioning And Operant Conditioning Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesBehaviorism is one of many theories in the field of psychology. It can be applied in different learning scenarios for different research purposes. Biographical information will be provided about the founders of the theory who are John B . Watson and B. F. Skinner. However, the information will focus more on their early education and known achievements. Furthermore, you will find different theories regarding behaviorism such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In order to understandRead MoreIs Conceptual Critiques Relevant for Psychology?1472 Words   |  6 PagesSkinner’s Operant Conditioning theory as another type of example on Conceptual Critiques (Skinner, 1963). His theory states that the best way to understand a behavior is to look at the association made between the behavior and the consequence of that behavior. Although Skinner’s primary interest was in human behavior, most of his research was done on animals using laboratory apparatus well known as the Skinner box. Hence, in his experiment, Skinner placed rats in the Skinner box and observed its’ behaviorsRead MoreClassic Behavioristic Principles of Psychology Developed by B.F. Skinner1372 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Gewirtz and Pelà ¡ez-Nogueras (1992), â€Å"B. F. Skinner contributed a great deal to advancing an understanding of basic psychological processes and to the applications of science-based interventions to problems of individual and social importance.† He contributed to â€Å"human and nonhuman behavior, including human behavioral development, and to various segments of the life span, including human infancy† (p. 1411). One of Skinners greatest scientific discoveries was â€Å"single reinforcement† whichRead MoreTheories Of Personality And Psychology1382 Words   |  6 PagesPSY8100 CLIFFORD THEORIES OF PERSONALITY 3 (DEBATE EXISTENCE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS) Faculty Use Only Debate on Psychoanalysis vs. Behaviorism: Freud and Skinner Moderator: Good evening, and welcome to the Northcentral University?s debate on psychanalysis versus behaviorism. My name is Nisaa Kirtman and I am from the Department of Psychology. It?s an honor to be the moderator of tonight?s debate. The topic for tonight?s debate are the contrasts betweenRead MorePersonality Analysis on The Breakfast Club1372 Words   |  6 Pagesteenager s . Upon first glance, Bender seems to be the average high school bad boy getting his position in this specific detention for pulling a false fire alarm . This gives viewers th e idea that his character does whatever he can for attention. Bender also has a tendency to say and do things that will get a negative reaction out of a person, by insul ting and antagoni sing every character at some point in the film . By applying Maslow s hierarchy of needs and B. F. Skinner s theory of personalityRead MoreClassical And Operant Conditioning And The Field Of Psychology997 Words   |  4 Pagesclassical and operant c onditioning contributed to the field of psychology? In this essay I will outline the main principles of both operant and classical conditioning methods and discuss what both theories have contributed to the field of psychology and what they have taught us about the way in which some human behaviour occurs. Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning (Davis, S. F., Buskist, W. (2008). 21st century psychology: a reference handbook Page 312 (Vol. 1). Sage.) statesRead MoreUnderstanding the Psychologist Called Burrhus Frederick Skinner1190 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment 4 Valerie Rountree Walden University Management in Human and Social Development - MGMT 8010 June 28, 2014 Understanding Burrhus Frederic Skinner B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential of American psychologists. A radical behaviorist, he developed the theory of operant conditioning, the idea that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or unlikely that the behavior will be repeated again, (NNDB, 2014)