B.F. Skinner

B.F.

Skinner (1904–1990) was an American psychologist who developed behaviorism into a systematic approach to understanding behavior through reinforcement and conditioning.

His work with the "Skinner box"—a controlled chamber for studying animal learning—became foundational in experimental psychology.

Skinner argued that behavior is shaped by consequences rather than internal mental states, influencing everything from animal training to education to therapy.

His name appears in phrases like Skinnerian conditioning and Skinner box.