Essay About B.F. Skinner And Type Of Person

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B.F. Skinner believed that the mind, the brain and the nervous system was a “black box,” invisible and irrelevant to scientists. This theory suggests that when a person is born, they are a blank slate and can be turned into any type of person depending on the environment that they are exposed to. Since I want to study and pursue a career in criminal psychology, which is based on behaviorism, I do agree with this theory but I also agree with the theory that a person is born with some of their own personality. The reason that I agree that a persons personality can be shaped with the type of environment that they are exposed to is because a child looks for their parents and the people around them for guidance and as examples. Children learn to imitate facial expressions and actions just by watching their parents or the people around them, so if a child is exposed to an environment where the parents are constantly swearing, then they will eventually pick that up. But the reason that I also agree with the theory that a person is born with a personality of their own is because there are some babies that spend most of their time crying and screaming and then I also know babies that spend their time sleeping and sleeping some more. For example, I was the type of baby that caused all types of chaos and was constantly crying when things didnt go my way, but when it was time to sleep, I could sleep for days. My sister, on the other hand, spent her time sleeping and eating or just laying in her crib looking at everything around her. Now, Im still the loud one of the house and I can sleep for days and Im always in control of every situation; my sister is still very quiet and spends most of her time eating. This is the reason why I believe that people are born with some aspects of their personality.