Skinner on Free Will

B.F. Skinner, a leading behaviorist, argued that free will is an illusion. He believed all behavior is determined by external stimuli and reinforcement histories, not by internal decisions or conscious choices. In his view, we think of choices as responses shaped by environmental consequences.

This view challenges traditional ideas about autonomy and personal responsibility in learning. While controversial, it prompts educators to consider how much control students have over their actions—and how learning environments can either support or hinder positive behavior.

Personal Reflection: While Skinner’s denial of free will seems extreme, his emphasis on the power of the environment is useful. Students do not come to the classroom as blank slates, but their choices are often influenced by their surroundings, past experiences, and how they are reinforced. Recognizing this helps teachers shift from blaming students for poor behavior to designing environments that support better choices.

The Teacher’s Role in Behaviorism

In the behaviorist model, the teacher is a controller of stimuli—someone who:

Structures the learning environment,
Delivers reinforcement (rewards or consequences),
Shapes behavior through repetition and feedback.
This means the teacher is not just a facilitator but an active agent in behavior modification. Positive reinforcement, for example, can be used to encourage participation or mastery.

Critique:This can be very effective for learning foundational skills (e.g., math facts, reading fluency), but if overused, it risks reducing education to rote learning. It doesn’t fully address creativity, critical thinking, or emotional growth—areas where cognitive and humanistic theories add more depth.

Nature vs. Nurture in Behaviorism

Behaviorism strongly emphasizes nurture—the idea that the environment shapes behavior. Skinner would argue that almost any behavior can be taught with the proper reinforcement schedule, regardless of innate traits.

While we know nature and nurture interact, behaviorism reminds us that educational environments matter enormously. Even if students have different starting points, structured, supportive environments can help all students make progress.

Conclusion

With its focus on reinforcement and environmental control, Skinner's behaviorism is a powerful tool—but a limited one. It helps teachers understand how to shape behavior and build habits. Yet its rejection of free will and internal mental states overlooks the complexity of human learning. As such, it’s best used alongside other theories that value cognition, emotion, and student agency.

• Shaira Ruby Serrado

Judul Pembaruan: Konsep Penguatan (Reinforcement) dalam Behaviorisme dan Contohnya dalam Pendidikan

Pembaruan:
Salah satu konsep kunci dalam behaviorisme adalah penguatan (reinforcement), yaitu proses memperkuat perilaku dengan memberikan konsekuensi yang mendorong pengulangan perilaku tersebut. Penguatan bisa positif (memberi hadiah) atau negatif (menghilangkan rangsangan tidak menyenangkan).

Contoh dalam Praktik Pendidikan:
Seorang guru menggunakan penguatan positif dengan memberikan pujian atau stiker bintang ketika siswa menyelesaikan tugas tepat waktu. Hal ini meningkatkan kemungkinan siswa mengulangi perilaku disiplin tersebut. Di sisi lain, penguatan negatif terjadi ketika guru menghapus kewajiban mengerjakan soal tambahan jika kelas berpartisipasi aktif—tindakan ini memperkuat perilaku partisipasi.

Kritik & Pertanyaan Terbuka:
Skinner menolak kehendak bebas, menganggap perilaku hanya hasil pengkondisian. Namun, apakah ini mengabaikan peran kognisi dan motivasi intrinsik? Bagaimana pendapat Anda tentang peran guru dalam pendekatan behavioris—apakah terlalu mekanistik atau efektif untuk pembentukan kebiasaan?

Referensi:

Skinner, B.F. (1971). Beyond Freedom and Dignity.

Contoh aplikasi: Artikel tentang penguatan di kelas.

• Rizal Akhmad Nugraha Zal

A Core Concept of Behaviorism

One of the foundational concepts in behaviorism is classical conditioning, developed by Ivan Pavlov. While often associated with animal behavior, this principle has significant implications for educational psychology and the learning environment.

Definition:
Classical conditioning refers to learning through association. A previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eventually triggering a similar response.

Example: Pavlov’s dogs salivated at the sound of a bell after it had been repeatedly paired with food.

Example in Educational Practice:
Imagine a student who feels anxious every time they enter a math class. Initially, the anxiety may be tied to difficult experiences (e.g., failing a test, being embarrassed by a wrong answer). Over time, the classroom itself—originally neutral—becomes a conditioned stimulus that triggers a conditioned response of stress or avoidance, even if the negative event isn't happening anymore.

Teachers, from a behaviorist standpoint, play a key role in either reinforcing or reshaping these associations. By creating positive experiences—like offering encouragement, fostering small successes, or creating a supportive environment—educators can re-condition students to associate learning with confidence rather than anxiety.

Educational Implications:
Role of the teacher: In a behaviorist framework, the teacher is an environmental engineer—shaping stimulus-response patterns through reinforcement, repetition, and careful control of cues.

Nature vs. Nurture: Behaviorism emphasizes nurture—behavior is learned from the environment, not inherited traits or internal thought processes.

Cautions: While powerful, classical conditioning can unintentionally create negative learning associations (e.g., test anxiety). Understanding this helps teachers prevent and address harmful patterns.

By applying behaviorist principles like classical conditioning, educational psychology gives teachers a framework for recognizing how emotional responses are learned—and how to help students unlearn unproductive ones. This highlights the power and responsibility of the learning environment in shaping not just knowledge, but also feelings and motivation.

• Anjana Ak

Tiitle: Exploring Behaviorism: Free Will, Teacher’s Role, and Intelligence Testing

Discussion Post Link: My Submission on Coursera

Skinner’s Comments on Free Will

@B.F. Skinner argued that what we perceive as “free will” is largely an illusion. According to his behaviorist perspective, human behavior is determined by environmental histories of reinforcement and punishment. Essentially, every choice is influenced by past experiences rather than by some internal, freely acting will. Skinner posited that if we fully understood the complex web of reinforcements shaping an individual’s behavior, we would see that choices are predictable and, in many ways, predetermined.

The Role of the Teacher in the Behaviorist Scheme

Within the behaviorist framework, the teacher is not just a transmitter of knowledge but a crucial agent in shaping behavior. Teachers act as environmental engineers who:

Reinforce desirable behavior: Through praise, rewards, or other forms of positive reinforcement.

Discourage undesired behavior: By using mild forms of punishment or corrective feedback.

Create structured environments: That set clear expectations and contingencies, facilitating learning and behavior modification.

This perspective shifts the focus from internal cognitive processes to observable behavior, emphasizing that systematic reinforcement can produce desired learning outcomes.

Nature or Nurture?

Behaviorism is firmly rooted in the “nurture” side of the debate. While nature (genetics) plays a role in an individual’s potential, behaviorists argue that environmental factors and learning histories are the primary determinants of behavior. According to Skinner, it is not our innate qualities that dictate our actions, but the patterns of reinforcement and punishment that we experience throughout life.

Dangers and Uses of Intelligence Tests

Intelligence tests have been a subject of intense debate. On one hand, they offer a standardized method to measure cognitive abilities, which can be useful for identifying learning needs and guiding educational interventions. However, there are significant concerns:

Bias and Cultural Fairness: Many intelligence tests have been criticized for cultural and socioeconomic biases that can disadvantage certain groups.

Labeling and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: Misuse of test results can lead to labeling individuals, which may restrict opportunities and influence self-esteem and performance.

Overemphasis on a Single Dimension: Intelligence is multifaceted, and reducing it to a single score may overlook other important abilities such as creativity, emotional intelligence, or practical problem-solving skills.

Update: Key Concept – Operant Conditioning

Definition:
Operant conditioning is a learning process through which behaviors are influenced by the consequences that follow them. In this framework, behaviors followed by favorable outcomes (reinforcers) are likely to be repeated, whereas behaviors followed by unfavorable outcomes (punishers) are less likely to be repeated.

Example in Practice:
Consider a classroom scenario where a teacher implements a token economy system. Each time a student contributes to class discussion or completes homework on time, they receive a token. Accumulated tokens can later be exchanged for a reward, such as extra playtime or a small prize. Here, the tokens serve as positive reinforcement, increasing the likelihood of the desired behaviors (active participation and timely homework completion).

Media and References

Video Resource: Operant Conditioning Explained
(A short video that visually explains how operant conditioning works in educational settings.)

Reference:
Skinner, B. F. (1971). Beyond Freedom and Dignity. New York: Knopf.
(This work provides a comprehensive overview of Skinner’s views on free will and behavioral control.)

• Shane San Agustin

Reinforcement and the Role of the Teacher in Behaviorism
Update:

One key concept of behaviorism, pioneered by B.F. Skinner, is reinforcement—a stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of a behavior recurring. Skinner distinguished between positive reinforcement (adding a pleasant stimulus) and negative reinforcement (removing an unpleasant one) to shape desired behaviors.

Example in Practice: In a classroom, a teacher using positive reinforcement might give a student a sticker for completing their homework on time. Over time, the student is more likely to continue turning in homework to receive further praise or rewards. This structured environment shapes behavior through consistent feedback rather than appealing to internal motivations.

From a behaviorist viewpoint, the teacher’s role is to create a learning environment structured around stimuli and responses—reinforcing desired behaviors and extinguishing unwanted ones. This approach is rooted in nurture over nature: behaviorists argue that learning is entirely shaped by environmental factors rather than innate ability.

However, this view raises questions about free will, a topic Skinner famously addressed in Beyond Freedom and Dignity. He argued that what we perceive as free will is actually the result of conditioning—challenging the humanistic perspective that emphasizes autonomy.

When we consider intelligence testing, behaviorism provides tools for measuring observable performance, but it often neglects deeper cognitive processes. Intelligence tests like the Stanford-Binet or Wechsler scales can help identify educational needs, but they can also be misused—for example, when scores are taken as static indicators of a person's capacity, rather than a snapshot influenced by context, experience, and environment.

Sources:

Skinner, B. F. (1971). Beyond Freedom and Dignity.

Woolfolk, A. (2019). Educational Psychology.

• Shane San Agustin

Digital Rewards: How Social Media Uses Operant Conditioning to Influence User Behavior

Comments, likes, and notifications are a few of the rewards social media sites use to maintain their users engaged. This is operant conditioning, a psychological phenomenon that describes how consequences influence behavior. The user is rewarded when a post receives a lot of likes, so they post again. They may alter what they share if something gets very few comments. People then become used to posting, scrolling, and engaging in ways that make them addicted to continuing to return. This makes social media enjoyable, but it may also cause one to use social media too much and have a never-ending craving for approval.

• Rose Agnes De La Rosa

I strongly Agree with this statement

• Shane San Agustin

Commenting on the dangers and uses of intelligence tests.

Intelligence tests have long played a significant role in education, influencing the way students are assessed and categorized. Historically, these tests were used to group students based on their perceived natural abilities, often leading to a rigid division between “higher” and “lower” performing groups. While intelligence tests initially seemed useful for sorting students, they have been discredited due to their narrow focus on assessing inherent intelligence rather than knowledge or potential. The idea that performance in school directly reflects intelligence has been widely criticized, as it oversimplifies learning and ignores socio-cultural factors. Intelligence tests also perpetuated harmful stereotypes, particularly in terms of race, gender, and class, and these assumptions have been debunked over time.

Today, the focus has shifted from measuring innate ability to assessing knowledge, with tests often designed to measure a student's understanding of a specific curriculum. These assessments can take two main forms: selected response assessments (e.g., multiple-choice questions) and supply response assessments (e.g., essay questions). While selected response tests are easy to administer and standardize, they often fail to assess deep understanding or the ability to think critically. These tests may misrepresent a student's grasp of complex topics, as they only evaluate rote memorization. On the other hand, supply response tests allow for more nuanced responses but are time-consuming to grade and subjective, relying on the interpretation of the assessor.

Despite these limitations, standardized testing remains prevalent in education. While it can provide valuable data on student performance, it often narrows intellectual exploration by reducing learning to memorization. In the modern world, where knowledge is increasingly interconnected and complex, this approach is inadequate for fostering true understanding. The danger lies in relying too heavily on standardized tests, as they may not accurately reflect a student's capacity to engage with real-world problems.@Samaa Haniya,@Martin Devathala,

• Reeda Kabboul

To comment on Skinner’s input on free will and how he had a motive to prove that anything that happens, happens because of external reasons, defying the idea of ‘free will,’, I would say that this theory falls only in a few categories. To hold my grounds on that, I’d like to dig out the theory of relativity and try to further relate it to what Skinner had to say. You see, Skinner believed that people’s behavior was dependent on previous actions so thus they could be conditioned to response in specific ways and in other words ‘reinforcement,’ ‘reward & punishment,’, ‘operant conditioning,’ and ‘a trigger can always be counter-triggered’ with proven concepts from his experimenting on pigeons and his own baby. Basing his argument on practices done on “not-fully-developed-brains” doesn’t really apply on all human beings. Nevertheless, a human brain develops in stages and its waves in different states, from being a newborn, to a complete adult, and in every stage, the human being attracts and absorbs information, actions, visions, etc.. accordingly. According to what the brain, in that particular stage, is gripping from the surrounding. So yes, in some stages, the brain needs to learn and relate the body’s action to a trigger and have it embedded into the muscle memory, habits, conscious, subconscious, or whatsoever but once that phase is done and people have now developed a functional brain (special cases aside), beings now have a choice of free will and that no matter the amount of pressure, external factors, environmental changes or reasons to impact their behavior, they might still choose differently. That’s why no theory should eliminate a factor that is necessary, better yet, inevitable in nature altogether. You have the power of quantum choice, and you have always had the tools to change your brain circuits and rewire them, but in history’s practices, experiments, theories, etc., research wasn’t that enhanced, and after almost two centuries, I could strongly defy Skinner’s theory on conditioned response and wonder about the following: “It’s 2025 and technology is changing incrementally and uncontrollably. With almost 80% of the population blindly coping with this kind of change, how can we grapple and enforce that change positively in our work, education, system, and even routine whilst containing the outburst of its negative factors? I would like to hear your thoughts @Anandhu A.R,@Samaa Haniya,@William Cope,@Nisa Nuraulia,

• Reeda Kabboul

I strongly Agree with this statement.

• Shane San Agustin

Comment:
B.F. Skinner’s perspective on free will is one of the most debated aspects of behaviorism. He argued that what we perceive as free will is actually the result of environmental conditioning—our behaviors are shaped by reinforcements and punishments, not by conscious choice. This view challenges traditional notions of autonomy but also provides a useful framework for understanding learning. In the classroom, this means teachers play the role of environmental engineers, structuring reinforcement systems to encourage desired behaviors. However, one could argue that this perspective downplays individual creativity and intrinsic motivation. What do you all think? Does Skinner’s view undermine personal responsibility, or does it provide a more scientific explanation of human behavior?

Make an Update:
One key concept of behaviorism is positive reinforcement, which involves strengthening a behavior by providing a reward after the desired action. For example, in a classroom, a teacher might give students praise or extra credit for turning in assignments on time. Over time, this reinforcement increases the likelihood that students will consistently meet deadlines. However, one limitation is that if the reward is removed, the behavior might diminish, suggesting that external reinforcement can sometimes overshadow intrinsic motivation.

• Anandhu A.R

I would like to give potential response over skinner’s comments about free will

@Skinner's notion that free will is an illusion resonates with me. As a behaviorist, he argued that human behavior is entirely determined by environmental factors, such as reinforcement and punishment. This perspective challenges the idea of personal responsibility and moral agency.

However, I think it's essential to consider the implications of this idea. If our choices are entirely determined, do we lose autonomy and accountability? Or does this perspective liberate us from the burden of guilt and shame?

Regarding the role of the teacher in the behaviorist scheme, I believe they play a crucial role in shaping behavior through reinforcement and punishment. But what about the potential for manipulation and control?

I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this topic!

Update:

Title: Operant Conditioning in Practice: A Real-World Example

In this update, I'll explore the concept of operant conditioning, a fundamental principle of behaviorism. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is modified by its consequences, such as rewards or punishments.

Example:

A company implements a rewards program to encourage employees to meet sales targets. Employees who exceed their targets receive bonuses and public recognition. This positive reinforcement increases the likelihood that employees will continue to work hard to meet their targets.

What are the implications of using operant conditioning in the workplace? Does it motivate employees or create unhealthy competition?

References:

Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. Macmillan.

Please comment and share your thoughts!

• Natin Nayan

I also agree with this statement. It is a very essential to provide an example to fully narrow down the real concept of this statement

• Shane San Agustin

@Natin Nayan, B.F. Skinner's behaviorist approach emphasizes the role of conditioning in learning, where behavior is shaped by reinforcement and punishment. According to Skinner, teachers are responsible for creating structured learning environments where students receive immediate and consistent reinforcement to guide their learning. However, while behaviorism provides an effective model for controlled learning outcomes, it raises concerns regarding free will, individual differences, and the broader psychological and philosophical aspects of learning.
The Role of the Teacher in Behaviorism
In Skinner’s view, learning is a process of reinforcement. Teachers act as facilitators who design optimal conditions for students to associate desired behaviors with rewards. Formal education differs from informal learning in that teachers actively structure experiences to expedite the learning process. This structured environment ensures that students acquire knowledge more efficiently than they would through unguided experience.
Teachers use positive reinforcement (such as praise, grades, or privileges) to encourage correct behavior and negative reinforcement (such as removing distractions) to strengthen learning habits. Similarly, they use punishment (such as loss of privileges or corrections) to reduce undesirable behaviors. The key is controlling contingencies—designing environments where desirable behaviors are repeated and strengthened through reinforcement.
Reference: Skinner, B.F. 1968. The Technology of Teaching. New York: Meredith Corporation. pp. 61–2, 64–5, 155–8, 167–8. || WorldCat
As I have elaborated on relativity in a separate comment, the stages of student development show that early childhood education benefits from behaviorist methods due to the structure and reinforcement, but as students advance, cognitive processes, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation play a larger role, which behaviorism does not fully address. While behaviorism assumes behavior is shaped by the environment, it overlooks human consciousness, which adds complexity to decision-making. Students are active participants in their learning, influenced by personal beliefs, social factors, and prior knowledge. Psychological theories like self-determination theory emphasize autonomy and intrinsic motivation as key to deep learning, which behaviorism doesn’t capture. Additionally, individual learning preferences vary, and some students are driven by curiosity or purpose, not just external rewards, challenging behaviorist explanations. Over-relying on external rewards can create dependency, hindering students' intrinsic motivation and lifelong learning. Therefore, behaviorism should be integrated with other learning theories, combining reinforcement with strategies that promote autonomy, creativity, and critical thinking. This balanced approach will foster both discipline and intellectual curiosity, ensuring students not only learn effectively but develop a lifelong love for learning. By recognizing the limitations of behaviorism and embracing diverse educational theories, a more holistic and effective learning environment can be achieved.
I think there must be a balance in every approach. While behaviorism provides valuable strategies for classroom management and foundational skill-building, it should be integrated with other learning theories to provide a more holistic education. Combining reinforcement techniques with strategies that encourage autonomy, creativity, and critical thinking can create an optimal learning environment.
Teachers should aim to balance structured reinforcement with opportunities for self-directed learning, ensuring that students not only learn effectively but also develop a lifelong love for learning. By recognizing the limits of behaviorism and integrating cognitive, humanistic, and constructivist approaches, education can foster both discipline and intellectual curiosity in students.

• Reeda Kabboul