Final answer:
B.F. Skinner was referred to as a determinist because he believed that behavior is influenced by its consequences. He conducted experiments using operant conditioning chambers to study behavior modification. Skinner's ideas on personality development and behavior influenced by reinforcements and punishments changed the perspective on psychology.
Step-by-step explanation:
B. F. Skinner was referred to as a determinist because he believed that behavior is influenced by its consequences. He focused on how behavior can be modified through reinforcement and punishment. Skinner's experiments involving operant conditioning chambers, also known as Skinner boxes, allowed him to study the principles of behavior modification.
Skinner disagreed with Freud's idea that personality is fixed in childhood, instead arguing that personality develops over a person's entire life. He believed that our behaviors can change as we encounter new situations and that reinforcement and punishment play a role in shaping our behavior patterns.
In contrast, Albert Bandura, another psychologist, agreed with Skinner on the role of learning in personality development but emphasized the importance of thinking and reasoning. Bandura proposed reciprocal determinism, which suggests that cognitive processes, behavior, and the context in which behavior occurs all interact and influence each other.