Burrhus Frederic Skinner commonly known as B.F. Skinner was a 20th-century psychologist who developed the theory of radical behaviorism, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher.
He was a professor of psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974.
B.F Skinner Early Life
Skinner was born on March 20, 1904, in Pennsylvania to a lawyer father William, and his wife Grace. He had a comfortable childhood and loved to invent things. He became an atheist at a young age. He died at age 86.
B.F Skinner Education
He dreamed of becoming a writer and attended Hamilton College in New York with this goal in mind. However, he could not fit in at the college due to his intellectual attitude. He completed his B.A. in English literature in 1926. He enrolled at Harvard University from where he received his M.A. in 1930.
He tried writing a novel after his graduation but was soon disillusioned with his literary skills. A chance encounter with John B. Watson’s ‘Behaviorism’ inspired him to shift his focus to the study of psychology.
B.F Skinner Career
He returned to Harvard University as a tenured professor in 1948 and taught there for the rest of his life,
He invented the operant conditioning chamber which helps in studying behavior conditioning in animals by teaching them to perform certain actions in response to a particular stimulus. These chambers are used in a number of research fields to study animal behavior and psychology.
His school of psychology, radical behaviorism, is applied in several diverse fields in contemporary society like management, clinical practice, animal training, and education. His theories also help in formulating therapies for autistic children.
He wrote a work of fiction, ‘Walden Two’, a utopian novel in 1948. It was a controversial book as Skinner rejected the concepts of free will, spirit, and soul. He stated that human behavior is determined by genetic and environmental variables and not by free will. In 1957, he published his book ‘Verbal Behavior’ in which he analyzed human behavior through the use of language, linguistics, and speech. It was a purely theoretical work that was backed by little experimental research. His very famous book ‘Beyond Freedom and Dignity’ was released in 1971.
In this work, he promoted his own philosophy of science and what he called cultural engineering. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
B. F Skinner Wife and Children
He married Yvonne Blue in 1936. The couple had two daughters, Julie and Deborah. His daughter Julie is an author and educator. The B.F. Skinner Foundation was formed in 1988 with his support to promote the science founded by him. His daughter Julie is the president of the foundation.
B.F Skinner Death
Skinner was diagnosed with leukemia in 1989 and died of the disease in 1990.
B.F Skinner Awards
B.F received a gold medal from the American Psychological Foundation in 1971. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Psychology Association for his tremendous contribution to the field of psychology in 1990.
B.F Skinner Net Worth
Bf Skinner’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 Million – $2 Million dollars.
SOURCE: GOSSIPS24
