B.F. Skinner :: essays research papers

B.F. mule skinner     mule skinner believed in Behavioristic theories. When studying carriageist theories you investigate the role of instruction in the development of genius. The psychologist study conditions and situations that affect the learning of behavior. Skinner defines personality in terms of behavior.     B.F. Skinner was born March 20, 1904, in the little Pennsylvania town of Susquehanna. His father was a lawyer, and his mother a beefed-up and intelligent housewife. His childhood was old-fashioned and hard-working. He wanted to be a writer and did try, sending off poetry and short stories. When he graduated, he built a study in his parents attic to concentrate, but it rightful(prenominal) wasnt working for him. At Harvard he got his masters in psychological science in 1930 and his doctorate in 1931, and stayed there to do research until 1936. He was perhaps the most celebrated psychologist since Sigmund Freud.   &n bsp His first theory was of strengthener. When a behavior is reinforced, or rewarded the chances of that happening again are likely. He is saying by documentation if the person knows they will get rewarded for it they will continue to do it. Skinner noted that the learning process should be divided into "a very large number of very small steps and reinforcement must be contingent upon the accomplishment of each step." Skinner to a fault stated that by making the steps of learning small, the frequency of reinforcement can be increased and the frequency of being wrong is reduced.      other theory was that of punishment. He says in this way he does not approve. Skinner says that punishing a child for something will make him not do it again and that is good in some cases, but what if your parents are abusive. He says that the theory of rewarding is the way to go and punishment is not fortify behavior, it is lessening the likelihood of that behavior to happen again.