Skinner's science took a hiatus when he married Yvonne Blue, took up a teaching position in Minnesota, where they settled down, and began a family of his own, which would later include a daughter Julie. Skinner's patriotism during World War II drove him to attempt the creation of a missile guidance system, using what else but pigeons and his operant conditioning for training. With much enthusiasm he furiously trained pigeons to peck reliably at a target which would lock a missile to it. While his project was later dumped for a new technology that had also been under way (radar) it did lead to new discoveries. For one, Skinner never again worked with rats, as pigeons behaved much more rapidly, which would lead to faster research. You have to wonder, if the US military would be foolish (smart?) enough to use his pigeon guidance system, had radar never been discovered. I wouldn't put it past them.
In 1943, Skinner was confronted with a problem that hit a little closer to home. His wife asked him to design a crib that wouldn't be nearly as dangerous as conventional cribs of their day. He came, he sought, he conquered, naming his device the "baby tender," which was, effectively, a heated plexiglass bed. Criticism erupted when he sent in an article about this new invention to Lady's Home Journal, which, of course, they put a spin on, naming it "Baby in a Box." People claimed he had turned his children into experiments, when the truth was, Skinner was a great father to them.
With the war wrapping up, Skinner was prompted by a conversation with a friend about how life would change with the war over. He began work on Walden Two, a fictional book portraying a Utopian community of around 1000 people. The book is centered around Skinner's behaviorism, the idea that human behavior can be controlled by manipulating contingencies of reward and, to a lesser extent, punishment. From an early age, members of Walden Two are conditioned to be productive and happy members of society.
Biography of B.F Skinner B.F Skinner was an American psychologist. ... B.F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. ... B.F. Skinner's whole system or theory is based on operant conditioning. ...