Abstract
In the two years between graduation from college and enrolling in graduate school, B. F. Skinner tried to initiate a literary career, failed at the task, and chose psychology as a field for graduate study. In this article we examine his literary background for sources and themes specifically relevant to choosing psychology, and provide an interpretive framework of considerations that seem more generally relevant to understanding his failure as a creative writer and his subsequent career choice.
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This research was supported under the Research and Creative Activities grant program of the College of Graduate Studies and by travel funds from the Department of Psychology at Cleveland State University.
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Coleman, S.R. B. F. Skinner, 1926–1928: From Literature to Psychology. BEHAV ANALYST 8, 77–92 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391914
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391914