B.F. Skinner and Behaviorism

Paper Summary:

B.F. (Burrhus Frederic) Skinner is regarded by many as the founder of operant conditioning, a form of behavior modification that, simply stated, depends on rewarding desired behaviors and initiating unpleasant consequences for undesirable behaviors. This paper explains that Skinner proposed that immediate and appropriate reinforcement of both good and bad behaviors would very likely increase the likelihood that the desirable behavior would be repeated and the undesirable one repeated less often. This paper provides a brief review dealing with the ways in which Skinner's theories are being looked at by educators today.

Outline:
Introduction
Historical Truisms Applied to Modern Classrooms
Current Point-Counterpoint Regarding Skinner's Theories
Using Skinner Early and Often
References

From the Paper:

"While Skinner and half a dozen contemporaries were expert at running animal experiments, with their forte being maze-running and operant conditioning of the sort employed in a Skinner box, they were also noted for "dustbowl empiricism" or, in other words, finding out what worked in reality, not in theory alone. The burden of their findings, including Skinner's, was that "repetition of a task, with suitable reinforcement for completing each trial, improved performance" (Bruner 2004, 13+)."

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