William Cope
Pinakini Shah
Nadia Ayub
Miquel Colobran.png "Samuel Chukwuemeka Obasi")
Samuel Chukwuemeka Obasi
Sara RichterLearning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates
Skinner's FreeWill
Skinner is one of the primary figure in psychology, he critiqued the concept of free will, Suggesting that environmental factors are large shaped the human behavior through conditioning. According to Skinner people have a "choices" which is response to past reinforcement and punishment patterns. I personally really like Skinner's theory since my first year, for me it's so interesting and very insightful. As a student I see teachers daily perform this daily with students, as a students I know what action I need to repeat to get praise or rewards.
According to B.F Skinner, there is no such thing as free will. These are only our behaviors shaped by punishments and rewards that we experienced in our environment. In our school, teachers encourage us to show a good behavior so we will have our rewards contrary when we do bad things we will punish or will get a consequences. B.F Skinner believes that our surroundings is a big factor of our behavior, not by inborn traits. Intelligence tests would help to see student’s or individual’s capacity but at the same time it would also be unfair if it would be use in a wrong way.
Key References on B. F. Skinner's Behaviorism
Foundational Works by Skinner
- Skinner's 1953 work, Science and Human Behavior, is a key text in understanding his approach to behaviorism, particularly regarding the purpose of science as prediction and control.
- Another significant contribution is Skinner's 1957 book, *Verbal Behavior*, which delves into his analysis of language.
- Skinner's 1974 publication, *About Behaviorism*, provides further insights into his views on the subject, including his pragmatic epistemology and the role of the environment in controlling behavior.
Additional Influential Works
- Catania's 1973 article, 'The concept of the operant in the analysis of behavior', is an important reference for understanding the operant construct in behaviorism .
- Day's 1975 work, 'Contemporary behaviorism and the concept of intention', offers further perspectives on behaviorism .
- Gilgen's 1982 book, American psychology since World War II: A profile of the discipline, provides a broader historical context for Skinner's influence in American psychology .
This selection of references highlights some of the core publications by B. F. Skinner himself, along with works by other scholars that discuss and contextualize his influential behaviorist theories.