Skinner the Behaviorist

For my theorist project I choose to research the learning theory of behaviorism, focusing on B.F. Skinner. I was aware of Skinner's research prior to the assignment due to my undergrad psychology degree.

Even with my prior knowledge I found out new information about him that intrigued me. One key detail I found out was that Skinner developed a pigeon program during World War 2. He trained the pigeons using a behaviorist approach to learn and the pigeons would peck the enemy in order to keep them in one spot for the launch of missiles from the United States (Frye, 2015). I also learned that he was basically the founder of applied behavioral analysis, which many schools use today (Morris, E., Smith, N., & Altus, D., 2005). I only learned this theory after researching articles for the paper portion of the project. I wish I had come across this research so I could have implemented it into my presentation and add more to the slide of his impact on psychology.

All in all I was very impressed with the research I learned about Skinner. Due to this assignment I was able to fully understand the behaviorist learning theory and the importance it has in behavior management. I also am aware of the negatives of behaviorism, such as punishment. I have knowledge on the topic and I am able to implement portions of this theory into my behavior management skills so I can use the proper techniques in my future classroom. If you would like to learn more about B. F. Skinner here is my presentation and the paper I wrote.

References 

Frye, T. (2015). B. F. Skinner’s Theories: Lessons and Quiz. Retrieved from 

http://study.com/academy/lesson/bf-skinners-theories-lesson-quiz.html#lesson

Morris, E., Smith, N., & Altus, D. (2005). B. F. Skinner’s contribution to applied behavioral

analysis. The Behavioral Analyst, 28(2). Retrieved from  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755377/