Definitions

Skinner, Burrhus Frederic (1903-1990): United States psychologist, a radical behaviourist who rejected mental concepts, seeing the organism as a "black box" where internal processes are not important in predicting behaviour. He studied operant conditioning and stressed that behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. His text The Behaviour of Organisms (1938) set forth his argument that a certain behaviour may be obtained by positive reinforcement or eliminated by withholding reinforcement. He applied his conditioning technique to education - pioneering programmed learning - and to clinical work with psychotic patients. He devised a teaching machine to reinforce by reward. His radical approach rejected almost all previous psychology...

The Complete Reference Encyclopedia. (Helicon Publishing 1992). Page 760.