Renowned Psychologist B.F. Skinner Dies at 86

B.F. Skinner, a retired Harvard professor and a giant in the world of psychology, died of leukemia on August 18 in Cambridge. He was 86.

Skinner was a pioneer in the theory of behaviorism, which holds that human behavior is primarily influenced by environmental factors, including reward and punishment.

Skinner was born in Susquehanna, Penn. on March 20, 1904. He did his undergraduate study at Hamilton College in New York before receiving a masters and doctorate from Harvard in 1930 and 1931 respectively.

After a teaching stint at the University of Minnesota, Skinner came to Harvard in 1947. He was Edgar Pierce professor of psychology when he retired in 1974.

"The world has lost a very distinguished scientist whose influence has been extraordinary," said Psychology Chair Jerome Kagan in a prepared statement. "His theoretical views were adopted by those in institutions working with retarded and autistic children and many educational establishments were profoundly influenced by his views on reward and punishment."

"He will rank with Freud and Piaget in terms of influence," he said.

Two of Skinner's most famous books describe his ideal society: Walden Two (1948), a novel about a utopian community based on behaviorist principles, and Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), which holds that in an ideal world traditional ideas about freedom and dignity need no longer apply.

Skinner argued that behaviorist principles could solve human problems at the family and even international level.

Skinner's hobbies included indoor gardening, old movies, French poetry and Agatha Christie novels. He played the organ and enjoyed carpentry.

He leaves his wife, the former Yvonne Blue, and two daughters, Julie Vargas of West Virginia and Deborah Buzan of England.