斯金纳 (Sījīnnà) · Skinner (surname, transliteration)

Meanings

1 Skinner (surname, transliteration)
2 B.F. Skinner (American behaviorist psychologist)

About B. F. Skinner

1904–1990 · 科学家 scientist

American psychologist, the leading figure of behaviourism, known for operant conditioning and the 斯金纳箱 (Skinner box) in which animals learn by reward; a staple of Chinese psychology and education courses.

Characters

斯

sī

this; thus (literary)

to accept; to receive

Examples

HSK 7-9

斯金纳是行为主义心理学的代表人物。

Sījīnnà shì xíngwéi zhǔyì xīnlǐxué de dàibiǎo rénwù.

Skinner is a leading figure in behaviorist psychology.

Tips

culture

Chinese textbooks teach his work as 操作性条件反射, 'operant conditioning', driven by 强化, 'reinforcement'. In the Second World War he trained pigeons to steer missiles by pecking at a target image, work that earned him a posthumous Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2024.