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Born
During the height of the Civil War, 1863, Susquehanna’s massive brick passenger station, hotel, and dining room known as the Starrucca House was built. The building is three stories high, 327 feet long and 40 feet wide. At the time of construction, railroad passenger service did not include dining cars. Trains would make scheduled meal stops at depots along the way. Apparently, Susquehanna was strategically located on the division, and the Starrucca House was ideally suited as the place to eat. -
Graduated from Hamilton College in New York
He was an atheist who was required to attend daily chapel. -
Masters in Psychology
While at Havard, Skinner invented his operant conditioning chamber, also called the Skinner Box. -
PhD from Harvard
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Married Yvonne Blue
They had 2 daughters: Julie and Deborah. -
The Behavior of Organisms
His studies on operant behavior and operant conditioning appear in his first book. His invention, the cumulative recorder, was also mentioned. -
The Baby Tender
The air crib was inventend because Yvonne wanted a crib that was safe, without blankets or bars that could trap a leg or suffocate a baby. -
Pigeon Project
While Word War II was in full swing, Skinner trained pigeons to keep pecking a target that would hold a missle onto a target. This project was discontinued, however, he discovered that pigeons behaved more rapidly than rats, allowing more rapid discoveries. -
Walden Two
This book is a fictional account of a behaviorist created utopia in which carefree young parents stroll off to work or school while their little ones enjoy all of the comforts of community - run, behaviorist approved daycare. -
American Philosophical Society
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Science and Human Behavior
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Verbal Behavior
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The Teaching Machine and System80
The teaching machine was a device that administered a curriculum of programmed instruction. It had a list of questions for a learner to respond to. When answered correctly, the learner would be rewarded.
The System80 elevated Skinner's 5 steps toward educational progression. This device gave the learner immediate feedback, broke the task into small steps, repeated the directions, worked from the most simple to the most complex tasks, and gave positive reinforcement for correct answers. -
Beyond Freedom and Dignity
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Humanist of the Year
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Died
Died in Cambridge, Massachusetts
