Gene Walker wrote:
Chris: I think you misread Debbie's comments. She said she was
in the =
Baby box as an alternative to a crib which is what Skinner repeatedly =
said.
No, I don't think I did. The confusion I spoke of was not Deborah's but
rather that of those who claim she was "raised" in a Skinner box (plus
a subordinate confusion by many "apologists" for Skinner who counter no
child of Skinner's was ever in any kind of "box").
Regards,
--
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M3J 1P3
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
phone: 416-736-5115 ext. 66164
fax: 416-736-5814
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
============================
.
-----
Original Message -----
Sent:
Sunday, March 14, 2004 11:41 AM
Subject:
Skinner's two boxes
Re: Deborah Skinner's
reply to the feview of Slater's book. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1167653,00.html
It sounds like the same old stuff -- primarily confusing the "Skinner
box" with Skinner's "other" box, the "baby box" (which had no
conditioning element). The latter box did indeed exist. Skinner even
tried to market it (unsuccessfully) and it was written up in one of
America's major magazines (Look or Life, I think. I can't recall at
present). There is a recent article by Alexandra Rutherford on the
"baby box," probably in _History of Psychology_, though I am not
certain.
I would be surprised if Deborah were *never* placed into the "baby
box," but I have no reason to disbelieve her (except that she would
have been a baby and presumably have no recollection of it). The
primary confusion really has to do with whether Skinner "theories" (he
rejected the term) were ever "tested" on her in the baby box. Since it
was intended mainly as a comfortable place for baby to nap while Mom
(this was the 1950s, after all) got on with other things, her interests
would probably be better served by explaining (again) the distinction
between the two boxes than by getting on her defensive high horse about
it.
Regards,
--
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M3J 1P3
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
phone: 416-736-5115 ext. 66164
fax: 416-736-5814
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
============================
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