The version I heard in undergrad was attributed, by my professor, to Skinner as well.
Chris ----- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M6C 1G4 Canada [email protected] > On Jan 8, 2015, at 10:58 AM, Rick Froman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I am preparing to teach Theories of Learning this semester and I remembered > the story told during my graduate training about a professor being shaped by > students to lecture toward the corner of the room. They evidently paid close > attention or performed some other reinforcing stimulus whenever the professor > moved in a certain direction until he was actually lecturing to the wall. > > It sounds like a clear urban legend (of the hoist of his own petard type) and > Snopes classifies it as a legend (of unverifiable nature) and concludes that, > “Many people claim to have been in a class where such training took place (or > to know someone who was); undoubtedly a few attempts have actually been made.” > > However, it appears from this site that the anecdote actually may be sourced > to none other than B. F. Skinner himself. It is funny that the version I > remember was the one described by Carl Rogers on that site: a behaviorist > professor being manipulated by his students. In fact, according to Skinner, > the classroom version of the story involved behaviorist students training a > humanist professor and he also recounted a time he did the same to a speaker > at a professional conference. > > This probably isn’t news to many of you but I thought it was quite an > unexpected result to see that the story was not a pure legend or parable but > was described as fact in two versions by B. F. Skinner himself. > > Rick > > Dr. Rick Froman > Professor of Psychology > Box 3519 > John Brown University > 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 > [email protected] > (479) 524-7295 > http://bit.ly/DrFroman > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=41438 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-41438-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=41441 or send a blank email to leave-41441-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
