B.F Skinner Essay

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B.F. SKINNER & BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS Abstract The desire to understand the mind has led to the development of the field of psychology, defined as the scientific study of the human mind and behavior with a goal of understanding why people think, act and feel as they do. According to many Scholars, B.F Skinner is considered to be a legend in the field of psychology due to his contributions through the many theories he helped develop. For instance, Rutherford (2004) in his article “A “visible scientist”: B.F. Skinner’s Writings for the Popular Press” noted that Skinner has been criticized by some in this field for the fact that he has set back the study of psychology instead of moving it forward. However, some considers him to be the best thinker among the psychologists of modern times. In many of his writings Skinner had noted that the human behavior is in a way associated with the environment in which that particular person is living in. B.F. SKINNER & HIS WORK IN PSYCHOLOGY This article by Rutherford (2004) suggests that there are few psychologists who achieve the level of public recognition that Skinner achieved both during his lifetime and after. As a result this paper contains the analysis of Skinners theories and their influence to mankind. Rutherford (2004) noted that Skinner was a public icon as a public intellectual. The main purpose for this paper was to examine the many papers by Skinner that had been published by newspapers, magazines, and many books most of which had been described as bestselling. The second purpose of this article is to describe the kind of writings that Skinner offered his popular audiences. Another purpose is to identify the kind of challenges that Skinner faced while writing for the popular press in the world.
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