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Skinnerian

American

[ski-neer-ee-uhn] / skɪˈnɪər i ən /

noun

a psychologist who follows behaviorist theories developed by B. F. Skinner.

adjective

of or relating to theories developed by Skinner, especially concerning operant conditioning.

Etymology

Origin of Skinnerian

First recorded in 1955–60; Skinner + -ian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Skinnerian

Language acquisition was something deeper than mere Skinnerian or Clever Hans-ish conditioning, but telling the difference between the two would be exceedingly difficult.

From Slate ● Jun. 21, 2018

After Walden Two became popular, about three dozen communities declared themselves to be Skinnerian communes, Hilke Kuhlmann writes in Living Walden Two.

From The Verge ● Jan. 24, 2018

It's this vicious Skinnerian cycle that conscious computing seeks to break.

From The Guardian ● May 10, 2013

Underlying the method is the Skinnerian conviction that behavior is determined not from within but from without.

From Time Magazine Archive

Such boys, however, were in a minority, the spirit of the place being decidedly Skinnerian.

From The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023