Skinner’s research methods also diverged from mainstream experimental psychology. Skinner preferred the intensive study of a single subject. He believed that the data on the average performance of groups is of little value in dealing with a particular case. Skinner believed that valuable and replicable results could be obtained without as statistical analysis, as long as sufficient data were collected from a single subject under well controlled experimental conditions. Skinner favored the ideographic method rather than the nomothetic approach.
Skinner’s single-subject experiments follow the reversal experimental design. This design has four stages:
(A) the first stage establishes a baseline for the subject’s behavior (the dependent variable) which is observed to determine the normal rate of response before any modification
(B) Next is the conditioning or experimental stage where the independent variables are introduced.
(C) The third stage is (C) which is called reversal, which determines whether some factor other than the independent variable is responsible for the learned behavior. When the procedure is applied to behavior modification, a reconditioning stage is added.
Skinner and his followers conducted thousands of operant-conditioning experiments on topics such as reinforcement schedules, language acquisition, behavior shaping, superstitious behavior, and behavior modification. The results have been highly supportive of Skinner’s ideas.
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