Final answer:
The cumulative recorder was the graph developed by B. F. Skinner in 1957 to record data in EAB research, marking the rate of behavior over time and was fundamental in the analysis of operant conditioning in the Skinner box.
Step-by-step explanation:
The graph developed by B. F. Skinner in 1957 to record data in Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) research is known as the cumulative recorder.
This graphical tool was used to display the rate of a particular behavior in real-time as a sloped line that tracked the occurrences of the behavior over time. The slope of the line indicated the rate of response; a steeper slope meant a higher frequency of the behavior.
The cumulative recorder was integral in Skinner's operant conditioning experiments, conducted with animals such as rats and pigeons, in operant conditioning chambers, popularly called Skinner boxes.
The use of this type of graph allowed Skinner and other behaviorists to visualize and analyze the effects of reinforcement and punishment on the rate of behaviors.