Behaviorism Essay

Behaviorism is a foundational theory in the world of psychology. However, behaviorism though it was a flourishing influential idea during the beginnings of psychology, it suffered a decline when other aspects of scientific research entered the psychology practice. Behaviorism was the scientific study of behavior. A plethora of great thinkers have made their marks with discoveries in behaviorism but B.F. Skinner was one of the most influential thinkers during the decline of behaviorism and the rise of experimental psychology.

B.F. Skinner was born of a father who was a lawyer who worked for the local railroad and a stay at home mother in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Skinner’s parents were Presbyterians and were of the middle working class background. Skinner went to the local school in town where both of his parents attended as children themselves. Skinner read for pleasure as a student because he described his father as “a sucker for book salesman.” Many have spoken with Skinner about his childhood, which he describes as “a happy one.” Skinner labeled his upbringing and home life as “warm and stable.” During Skinner’s youth, he also showed a high interest in building things. He built wagons, model airplanes, and other makeshift items, which exemplified his mechanical intellect.

Skinner exceled and enjoyed the school. He finished second in his high school class and was accepted to Hamilton College, a small liberal arts school in New York. Skinner had an intense passion for writing and wanted to become a writer. When Skinner was in college he met the famous poet Robert Frost. Frost asked Skinner to send him some of his work and Frost was very impressed with Skinner’s writing.

With the praise from Robert Frost, Ski...

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...d scientists should study cognitions because he was against the idea of cognition but he viewed them as a valid subject for research.

Skinner believed that all behavior is determined and operant behavior is the idea that operant behavior is the idea that we expect something because we preformed a certain behavior. Skinner also believed that operant conditioning’s purpose was to bring a change positive or or negative to any behavior.

Many psychologists performed many experiments that involved shaping and changing behavior. There is one influential thinker that made a remarkable discovery that one can change another’s behavior by providing or establishing a reward based systems based upon their behavior. B.F. Skinner uncovered the idea that one change or shape another’s behavior by establishing a system based upon rewards that can change another’s behavior.