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🧠 Behaviorist theory 👨‍🏫 A behaviorist
Skinnerian

Skinnerian

8.9
Using rewards and repetition to change behavior
  • adjective
  • /skɪˈnɛr.i.ən/
  • Formal
translation icon : skinneriano
  • Like Skinnerian behavioral psychologists, they are primarily focused on measuring education through stimulus and response, and, like the Skinnerians, they tend to regard the classroom as a black box.

Examples

  • So to illustrate Skinnerian theory and operant conditioning, I'll give an example of of training a pig.

  • Skinnerian therapists shifted their focus to techniques of self-control.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Further, if you remember your Skinnerian psychology, variable schedules of reinforcement—the unexpected doses are more gratifying than regularly scheduled doses, whatever the hunt.

    Blog text (24)

  • The Skinnerian approach to therapy focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal thoughts.

  • Many educators use Skinnerian techniques to encourage positive behavior in the classroom.

  • The Skinnerian principles emphasize the importance of reinforcement in shaping behavior.

Synonyms

behaviorist
vsSkinnerian
  • Specialized
6.3

Relating to the idea that psychologists should study only visible actions

ties the observable focus to one specific theorist's theory
behavioristic
vsSkinnerian
  • Specialized
8.2

A way of studying learning that focuses on actions you can see

applies the same focus but is tied to a particular theorist's views

How Behaviorist

Skinnerian
  • Formal
8.9
eclectic
45 7.7
cognitive
  • Specialized
134 5.4

Surface Forms

Skinnerian positive

Morphology

Skinnerian = Skinner (transparent) = Skinner + ian

Formed directly from the proper name 'Skinner' plus the productive English suffix '-ian' meaning 'relating to' or 'associated with'.

Etymology

Skinnerian comes from the name Skinner, the psychologist B. F. Skinner, plus the ending -ian, which means 'related to' or 'follower of', like in Darwinian. So, something described as Skinnerian follows Skinner's ideas about how 'behavior' is shaped by rewards and repetition.