B.F. Skinner's behavioral psychology and contributions to learning theory

Noted psychologist B.F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904, in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, to a successful middle class family. Skinner enjoyed inventing and building devices from a very young age. For instance, he created a machine that separated ripe from green elderberries amongst other items (Vargas, 2006). At Hamilton College, Skinner studied English. Although he would turn to psychology in the near future with his studies and fellowship at Harvard University, Skinner's English degree and creative spirit served him well in his psychological studies and the many books that he wrote about his theories and experiments. Skinner used his skills as an inventor and builder combined with his study of behavior to create many interesting and useful machines during his many years of study. During his twenties while working at Harvard with William Crozier, Skinner created the cumulative recorder which was a mechanical device that recorded every response of the rats that he was studying. In the course of this study, Skinner formulized the theory of operant behavior for which he became so famous (Vargas, 2006). In operant behavior, Skinner states that an organism's actions are based on the consequence that will be received. If the organism believes that the consequence will be positive such as getting food, it will repeat the same action over and over unless the food stops. In order to study this in rats, Skinner created a contraption known as a "Skinner Box" and the recorder (Boeree, 2006). To further his studies and satisfy his curiosity which was immense, Skinner continued to create devices and experiment with animals. Although Skinner was an advocate of peace and humane behavior, during World War II Skinner engaged in an experimental project that would have pigeons guide bombs. Although it was never used, Skinner learned a great deal from working with the pigeons (Vargas, 2006). Skinner's tendency to see needs and react to them with some sort of experimental device overlapped into his private life when he designed a baby crib that would prevent infants from getting their legs stuck through the bars and caught in their blankets (Boeree, 2006). Skinner continued to work at various universities including the University of Indiana and Harvard. Skinner was working at a time when the interest in psychology and particularly behavioral psychology was high. Skinner truly believed that an understanding of behavioral psychology would help people. He opposed coercion and felt that society could be guided in a positive direction through the use of positive reinforcement. For Skinner, society should seek friendship, good health, balance, pleasures, and as little unpleasantness as possible along with satisfying curiosity (Vargas, 2006). Eventually, Skinner turned his attention to the educational process in an attempt to improve the world around him and satisfy his own curiosity. The story goes that Skinner attended his daughter's school for Father's Day and observed a math class. During the course of this class, he became aware that not all the student were learning at the same rate and that they were not receiving immediate feedback, something that Skinner understood as important through his studies with animals. Consequently, Skinner became active in creating "programmed instruction". In this, a device would assist a student to learn something by breaking down the sequence and eventually allowing mastery at the student's own pace. Although Skinner spent years tweaking this device, it was not commercially successful due to the lack of technology. However, the theories about how students learn based on Skinner's observations are still used in education today (Vargas, 2006). Skinner successfully combined a multitude of skills such as his ability to write well and to create into his study of the human mind. Skinner was clearly a hands-on learner. He reacted to the results of his experiments which in many ways reinforces his own theories. Because he functioned on a system of reacting to stimuli, he proved his own theories about operant behavior time and again through his own work.