Chapter 1: Opening Skinner’s Box
Summary
This chapter introduces a psychologist by the name of B. F. Skinner and his contributions in the field of psychology. The most interesting fact that is introduced at the beginning of this chapter is that Skinner aspired to be a novelist. The chapter describes Skinner's theories of behaviorism, which claims that behavior is shaped by the environment. The author Lauren Slater even gives an example where she employs Skinner's principle of positive reinforcement. This idea is based on Skinner's idea that rewards work much better than any form of punishment.
Discussion
After reading this chapter, I had to go and do some research on Skinner. It turns out that his contributions have made him one of the best psychologists of the 20th century. I find Skinner's theory to be really interesting and I think I agree with his positive reinforcement principle. Slater points out in this chapter how interesting it could be if some of his observations could make an impact on politics.
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