Skinner Article

Skinner Article

B. F. Skinner was a positive psychologist that believed the importance of making psychology a science is the use of controlled experiments to objectively measure behavior influencing cognitive psychology.

Skinner entire system was based on his contributions of operant conditioning “behavior designed to operate on the environment in a way that will gain something desired or avoid something unpleasant (chapter 5 p. 193)”, which the conditioning organism encounters a special kind of stimulus, called a reinforcing stimulus, or simply a reinforce which strengthens behavior that tends to be repeated (Dr. C. George Boeree). Skinner theory of operant conditioning was based on the work of Thorndike.

Skinner identified three types of operant that can follow behavior which was the Neutral Operants, Reinforcers, and the Punishers (Saul Mcleod, 2007). In his belief in the punishment is by responding from the environment that decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated because of the opposition of reinforcement, since it is designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it (Saul Mcleod, 2007). Mr. Skinner theories in reinforcement are two types positive and negative, in positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by providing a consequence an individual finds rewarding. For example, a football coach gives out stickers on a player helmet for every positive play the player pursue.

Skinner superstitious behavior was related in pigeon theory, his belief that an accidental reinforcement of a response can lead to superstitious behavior in which the conditioning was demonstrated with the use of pigeons. In example, he set dispenser to food for animals in an operant chamber at fixed time intervals about every 15 minutes. The animal gave into whatever behavior they were engage to at the time and typically develop a superstitious behavior.

Skinner recommends that “psychologists concentrate on observables, that is, the environment and...