B.F. Skinner
Most influential behaviorist, operant conditioning
Quotes by B.F. Skinner
The ultimate question is not whether we can control human behavior, but what kind of control we will exert.
A person does not initiate behavior; he is initiated by the environment.
The so-called 'inner man' is a fiction.
We are not responsible for our behavior; our environment is.
Freedom is a matter of contingencies of reinforcement, not of inner states.
The only way to understand behavior is to look at its causes in the environment.
The 'self' is a repertoire of behavior.
We can't afford freedom.
The concept of 'will' is an explanatory fiction.
The problem with freedom is that it allows people to make mistakes.
The only way to improve society is to improve the environment.
Behavior is determined by its consequences.
The concept of 'creativity' is a misnomer for novel behavior that is reinforced.
The 'mind' is simply what the brain does.
The only way to achieve a better world is through planned cultural design.
The concept of 'human nature' is a myth.
We should design cultures that maximize positive reinforcement and minimize punishment.
The 'inner man' is an obstacle to scientific understanding of behavior.
The goal of psychology should be the prediction and control of behavior.
The 'self-starter' is a myth.