Burrhus frederic skinner (1904–90) is probably the best-known american behaviourist, and the founder of operant conditioning. his early years were rather peripatetic – educated at hamilton college and...

Burrhus frederic skinner (1904–90) is probably the best-known american behaviourist, and the founder of operant conditioning. his early years were rather peripatetic – educated at hamilton college and then harvard (receiving his Phd in 1931), he taught at the university of Minnesota and indiana university. during World War ii, he did research with a military flavour, including a programme designed to teach pigeons to direct missiles to targets while flying in the nose-cone; the technique was never implemented. in 1947 he returned to harvard to deliver the annual William James lectures; in 1948 he was appointed as a full professor at harvard. skinner’s development of operant conditioning began while training as a graduate student at harvard. although his initial work on animal behaviour was somewhat similar to thorndike’s, he became influenced by Watson’s ideas, and began a systematic attempt to purge psychology of mentalistic concepts and language. While his theories have remained controversial, the practical applications of operant conditioning have been widespead. skinner died in cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990.