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B. F. Skinner Quotes

Psychologist

B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist known for his work on operant conditioning and behavior modification. He developed the science of behaviorism and his research had a significant impact on education, psychology, and other fields.

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All Men Behavior Behaviorism Education Language Way Has Beens May People Persons Doe Ifs World Facts Humans Practice Problem Teacher Consequence Environment

Famous B. F. Skinner Quotes

“If you're old, don't try to change yourself, change your environment.”

Ifs Trying Age Change Environment Change Yourself

Author:B. F. Skinner

“If freedom is a requisite for human happiness, then all that’s necessary is to provide the illusion of freedom.”

Ifs Humans Illusion Human Happiness Illusion Of Freedom

Author:B. F. Skinner

“In the traditional view, a person is free. He is autonomous in the sense that his behavior is uncaused. He can therefore be held responsible for what he does and justly punished if he offends. That view, together with its associated practices, must be re-examined when a scientific analysis reveals unsuspected controlling relations between behavior and environment.”

Ifs Persons Doe Together Views Practice Environment Behavior Relation Responsible Traditional Analysis Autonomous

Author:B. F. Skinner

“Better contraceptives will control population only if people will use them. A nuclear holocaust can be prevented only if the conditions under which nations make war can be changed. The environment will continue to deteriorate until pollution practices are abandoned. We need to make vast changes in human behavior.”

“If the world is to save any part of its resources for the future, it must reduce not only consumption but the number of consumers.”

Ifs World Numbers Balance Resources Population Consumers Consumption World Population

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“Old age is rather like another country. You will enjoy it more if you have prepared yourself before you go.”

Ifs Country Age Enjoy Prepared Old Age

Author:B. F. Skinner

“Your liberals and radicals all want to govern. They want to try it their way- to show that people will be happier if the power is wielded in a different way or for different purposes. But how do they know? Have they ever tried it? No, it's merely their guess.”

People Ifs Knows Way Want Trying Different Shows Purpose Radical Different Ways

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“A culture must be reasonably stable, but it must also change, and it will presumably be strongest if it can avoid excessive respect for tradition and fear of novelty on the one hand and excessively rapid change on the other.”

Ifs Hands Culture Tradition Strongest Stable Rapids Novelty Rapid Change

Author:B. F. Skinner

About the Author

Born: March 20, 1904
Died: August 18, 1990
Known for: Psychologist
Quotes: 108

Books & Sources

WALDEN TWORelated source material

Science And Human BehaviorRelated source material

Cumulative Record: Definitive EditionRelated source material

Contingencies of ReinforcementRelated source material

The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental AnalysisRelated source material

The Technology of TeachingRelated source material

Verbal BehaviorRelated source material

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