B. F. Skinner

1 7.7

An American psychologist known for showing how behaviour changes with rewards and punishments

proper noun
/biː ɛf ˈskɪnər/

: B. F. Skinner

The concept of operant conditioning is closely associated with B. F. Skinner.

Examples

The concept of operant conditioning is closely associated with B. F. Skinner.
Many textbooks discuss the impact of B. F. Skinner on behavioral science.
B. F. Skinner developed theories that transformed the field of psychology.
The theories of B. F. Skinner revolutionized psychology.
Did B. F. Skinner really believe in behaviorism?
Many textbooks discuss the impact of B. F. Skinner on behavioral science.
B. F. Skinner developed theories that transformed the field of psychology.

Surface Forms

B. F. Skinner main

Morphology

B. + F. + Skinner

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the initials 'B.' and 'F.' plus the surname 'Skinner' do not transparently encode the biographical meaning (United States psychologist and behaviorist). Knowing the constituent tokens does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent or its professional significance, so the expression is not compositional.

Etymology

B. F. Skinner is remembered for experiments using a small box where rats or pigeons pressed a lever to get food. He showed how reward and punishment change behaviour, so his name is linked to 'learning by reward and punishment'.