PSYCHOLOGIST
B. F. Skinner
1904 - 1990

B. F. Skinner
Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, inventor, and social philosopher. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1948 until his retirement in 1974. Skinner developed behavior analysis, especially the philosophy of radical behaviorism, and founded the experimental analysis of behavior, a school of experimental research psychology. He also used operant conditioning to strengthen behavior, considering the rate of response to be the most effective measure of response strength. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. B. F. Skinner is the 23rd most popular psychologist, the 378th most popular biography from United States (down from 294th in 2019) and the 7th most popular American Psychologist.
B. F. Skinner is most famous for his operant conditioning, which is a type of behaviorism. This theory is based on the idea that behavior is shaped by its consequences.
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Among PSYCHOLOGISTS
Among psychologists, B. F. Skinner ranks 23 out of 235. Before him are Anna Freud, Kurt Lewin, Jordan Peterson, John B. Watson, Daniel Kahneman, and Irvin D. Yalom. After him are Edward Thorndike, Melanie Klein, Wilhelm Reich, Gustav Fechner, Hermann Ebbinghaus, and Aaron T. Beck.
Most Popular Psychologists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAnna Freud
1895 - 1982
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 17
Kurt Lewin
1890 - 1947
HPI: 75.66
Rank: 18
Jordan Peterson
1962 - Present
HPI: 75.52
Rank: 19
John B. Watson
1878 - 1958
HPI: 75.34
Rank: 20
Daniel Kahneman
1934 - 2024
HPI: 75.25
Rank: 21
Irvin D. Yalom
1931 - Present
HPI: 75.24
Rank: 22
B. F. Skinner
1904 - 1990
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 23
Edward Thorndike
1874 - 1949
HPI: 74.93
Rank: 24
Melanie Klein
1882 - 1960
HPI: 74.73
Rank: 25
Wilhelm Reich
1897 - 1957
HPI: 74.70
Rank: 26
Gustav Fechner
1801 - 1887
HPI: 74.35
Rank: 27
Hermann Ebbinghaus
1850 - 1909
HPI: 74.08
Rank: 28
Aaron T. Beck
1921 - 2021
HPI: 73.89
Rank: 29
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1904, B. F. Skinner ranks 12. Before him are Dr. Seuss, Umberto II of Italy, Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia, Cary Grant, Jean Gabin, and Wendell Meredith Stanley. After him are Ève Curie, George Gamow, Johnny Weissmuller, Pavel Cherenkov, Harry Martinson, and Louis Néel. Among people deceased in 1990, B. F. Skinner ranks 12. Before him are Sammy Davis Jr., Alberto Moravia, Leonard Bernstein, Yun Posun, Ava Gardner, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt. After him are Roald Dahl, Pavel Cherenkov, Sarah Vaughan, Sergei Parajanov, Norbert Elias, and Princess Sophie of Hohenberg.
Others Born in 1904
Go to all RankingsDr. Seuss
WRITER
1904 - 1991
HPI: 79.94
Rank: 6
Umberto II of Italy
POLITICIAN
1904 - 1983
HPI: 77.25
Rank: 7
Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia
NOBLEMAN
1904 - 1918
HPI: 76.39
Rank: 8
Cary Grant
ACTOR
1904 - 1986
HPI: 76.32
Rank: 9
Jean Gabin
ACTOR
1904 - 1976
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 10
Wendell Meredith Stanley
CHEMIST
1904 - 1971
HPI: 75.30
Rank: 11
B. F. Skinner
PSYCHOLOGIST
1904 - 1990
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 12
Ève Curie
WRITER
1904 - 2007
HPI: 75.06
Rank: 13
George Gamow
PHYSICIST
1904 - 1968
HPI: 74.33
Rank: 14
Johnny Weissmuller
SWIMMER
1904 - 1984
HPI: 74.19
Rank: 15
Pavel Cherenkov
PHYSICIST
1904 - 1990
HPI: 74.18
Rank: 16
Harry Martinson
WRITER
1904 - 1978
HPI: 74.14
Rank: 17
Louis Néel
PHYSICIST
1904 - 2000
HPI: 74.06
Rank: 18
Others Deceased in 1990
Go to all RankingsSammy Davis Jr.
SINGER
1925 - 1990
HPI: 75.78
Rank: 6
Alberto Moravia
WRITER
1907 - 1990
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 7
Leonard Bernstein
COMPOSER
1918 - 1990
HPI: 75.35
Rank: 8
Yun Posun
POLITICIAN
1897 - 1990
HPI: 75.23
Rank: 9
Ava Gardner
ACTOR
1922 - 1990
HPI: 75.11
Rank: 10
Friedrich Dürrenmatt
WRITER
1921 - 1990
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 11
B. F. Skinner
PSYCHOLOGIST
1904 - 1990
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 12
Roald Dahl
WRITER
1916 - 1990
HPI: 74.78
Rank: 13
Pavel Cherenkov
PHYSICIST
1904 - 1990
HPI: 74.18
Rank: 14
Sarah Vaughan
SINGER
1924 - 1990
HPI: 73.48
Rank: 15
Sergei Parajanov
FILM DIRECTOR
1924 - 1990
HPI: 72.77
Rank: 16
Norbert Elias
SOCIOLOGIST
1897 - 1990
HPI: 72.31
Rank: 17
Princess Sophie of Hohenberg
COMPANION
1901 - 1990
HPI: 72.14
Rank: 18
In United States
Among people born in United States, B. F. Skinner ranks 378 out of 20,380. Before him are Philip K. Dick (1928), Ava Gardner (1922), Gertrude B. Elion (1918), The Undertaker (1965), Mario Puzo (1920), and Sharon Stone (1958). After him are Bill Haley (1925), Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (1923), Joe Pesci (1943), William Howard Taft (1857), Linda McMahon (1948), and Warren G. Harding (1865).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsPhilip K. Dick
WRITER
1928 - 1982
HPI: 75.12
Rank: 372
Ava Gardner
ACTOR
1922 - 1990
HPI: 75.11
Rank: 373
Gertrude B. Elion
CHEMIST
1918 - 1999
HPI: 75.10
Rank: 374
The Undertaker
WRESTLER
1965 - Present
HPI: 75.10
Rank: 375
Mario Puzo
WRITER
1920 - 1999
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 376
Sharon Stone
ACTOR
1958 - Present
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 377
B. F. Skinner
PSYCHOLOGIST
1904 - 1990
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 378
Bill Haley
MUSICIAN
1925 - 1981
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 379
Daniel Carleton Gajdusek
PHYSICIAN
1923 - 2008
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 380
Joe Pesci
ACTOR
1943 - Present
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 381
William Howard Taft
POLITICIAN
1857 - 1930
HPI: 75.07
Rank: 382
Linda McMahon
BUSINESSPERSON
1948 - Present
HPI: 75.06
Rank: 383
Warren G. Harding
POLITICIAN
1865 - 1923
HPI: 75.03
Rank: 384
Among PSYCHOLOGISTS In United States
Among psychologists born in United States, B. F. Skinner ranks 7. Before him are Abraham Maslow (1908), John Dewey (1859), William James (1842), Carl Rogers (1902), John B. Watson (1878), and Irvin D. Yalom (1931). After him are Edward Thorndike (1874), Aaron T. Beck (1921), Howard Gardner (1943), Gordon Allport (1897), Paul Ekman (1934), and Jerome Bruner (1915).
Abraham Maslow
1908 - 1970
HPI: 80.93
Rank: 1
John Dewey
1859 - 1952
HPI: 78.90
Rank: 2
William James
1842 - 1910
HPI: 78.62
Rank: 3
Carl Rogers
1902 - 1987
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 4
John B. Watson
1878 - 1958
HPI: 75.34
Rank: 5
Irvin D. Yalom
1931 - Present
HPI: 75.24
Rank: 6
B. F. Skinner
1904 - 1990
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 7
Edward Thorndike
1874 - 1949
HPI: 74.93
Rank: 8
Aaron T. Beck
1921 - 2021
HPI: 73.89
Rank: 9
Howard Gardner
1943 - Present
HPI: 72.88
Rank: 10
Gordon Allport
1897 - 1967
HPI: 72.50
Rank: 11
Paul Ekman
1934 - Present
HPI: 72.26
Rank: 12
Jerome Bruner
1915 - 2016
HPI: 71.83
Rank: 13