Allen Neuringer Explained
Allen Neuringer is an American psychologist. He is a highly published and well regarded scientist in the field of the experimental analysis of behavior, as pioneered by B.F. Skinner. His areas of research include human volition studies, the generation of randomness in organisms, self-experimentation, and many other areas. He received his B.A. at Columbia College in 1962, and his PhD from Harvard University in 1967.[1] He served on National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) committees,[2] received numerous awards and grants for his research, and has published widely.[3] As of June 2008, Neuringer retired as a professor of psychology at Reed College.[4]
Early life and education
Neuringer was born ca. 1940. He received his B.A. at Columbia College. He did his PhD at Harvard University.[5]
Career
As of June 2008, Neuringer retired as a professor of psychology at Reed College.
He has also been an editor or assistant editor on four journals, and currently is an editor for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB). He has been a reviewer on 23 journals, including Science and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
He served on National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) committees.
Research interests
Neuringer is a social scientist in the field of the experimental analysis of behavior, as pioneered by B.F. Skinner. His areas of research include human volition studies, the generation of randomness in organisms, self-experimentation, and many other areas.
Randomness and behavior
Neuringer's work focused on the production of "pure randomness" in human and other organismic behavior, something that was widely considered impossible. Matching and reinforcing human and animal responses to a random number generator he was able to have humans and other organisms behave "randomly".
Melioration and self-experimentation
Neuringer has suggested that behavior analysis as a field might benefit from using experimental designs that explicitly and directly attempted to meliorate the condition of an experimental subject. He envisaged placing practical everyday goals as the objective of experiments and, especially, self-experiments.
Awards and recognition
Neuringer's work has received numerous NSF/NIMH grants.
Personal life
Neuringer, with his wife, live in a house they built in a forested area in the State of Oregon.[6]
Representative publications
- Neuringer A . Reinforced variability in animals and people: implications for adaptive action . Am Psychol . 59 . 9 . 891–906 . December 2004 . 15584823 . 10.1037/0003-066X.59.9.891 . 10.1.1.334.1772 .
- Neuringer A . Operant variability: evidence, functions, and theory . Psychon Bull Rev . 9 . 4 . 672–705 . December 2002 . 12613672 . 10.3758/bf03196324 . free .
- Grunow A, Neuringer A . Learning to vary and varying to learn . Psychon Bull Rev . 9 . 2 . 250–8 . June 2002 . 12120786 . 10.3758/bf03196279 . free .
- Vickrey C, Neuringer A . Pigeon reaction time, Hick's law, and intelligence . Psychon Bull Rev . 7 . 2 . 284–91 . June 2000 . 10909135 . 10.3758/bf03212983. free .
- Neuringer A . Melioration and self-experimentation . J Exp Anal Behav . 42 . 3 . 397–406 . November 1984 . 16812398 . 1348111 . 10.1901/jeab.1984.42-397.
Further reading
Articles from published sources that may be of interest, in the expansion of this article, or for further exploration by readers, include the following.
Research related to behavioural response structures
- Book: Reid, Alliston K. . Dixon, Rebecca . Gray, Stephen . amp . 2008 . Reflections on Adaptive Behavior: Essays in Honor of J.E.R. Staddon . Variarion and Selection in Response Structures [Ch. 3] . Innis, Nancy K. . 51–86 . Cambridge, MA . MIT Press . 978-0262590266 . https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0262590263 . 17 April 2016.
Research related to musical recognition
Scholarly accounts
The following secondary source accounts appear about his animal research related to musical recognition, in 1984:
- Book: Watanabe, Shigeru . 2012 . Emotions of Animals and Humans: Comparative Perspectives . Animal Aesthetics form the Perspective of Comparative Cognition . Watanabe, Shigeru . Kuczaj, Stan A. . 129–164, esp. 139 . Tokyo, JPN . Springer Science & Business . The Science of the Mind . 978-4431541233 . https://books.google.com/books?isbn=4431541233 . 17 April 2016.
- Book: Snowdon, Charles T. . Zimmerman, Elke . Altenmüller, Eckart . amp . 2015 . Music, Neurology, and Neuroscience: Evolution, the Musical Brain, Medical Conditions, and Therapies . Music evolution and neuroscience [Ch. 2] . Altenmüller, Eckart . Finger, Stanley . Boller, Francois . 17–36, esp. 22 . Amsterdam, NLD . Elsevier . Progress in Brain Research, Volume 217 . 978-0444635525 . https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0444635521 . 17 April 2016.
- Book: North, Adrian C. . Hargreaves, David J. . amp . 2008 . The Social and Applied Psychology of Music . Music preference and taste [Ch. 3] . 75–142, esp. 121 . Oxford, ENG . Oxford University Press . 978-0191005008 . https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0191005002 . 17 April 2016.
Popular accounts
The following popular accounts appear about this same 1984 work:
Other matters
External links
Notes and References
- https://www.reed.edu/psychology/CVs/allencv.pdf CV
- https://www.reed.edu/psychology/CVs/allencv.pdf CV
- https://www.reed.edu/psychology/CVs/allencv.pdf CV
- https://www.reed.edu/psychology/CVs/allencv.pdf CV
- Web site: Reed College Dean of the Faculty Faculty Profiles Allen Neuringer . 2017-12-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180112230748/http://www.reed.edu/dean_of_faculty/faculty_profiles/profiles/neuringer-allen.html . 2018-01-12 . dead .
- Web site: Behavior Analysis History. Interview with Dr. Neuringer. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/JCEdhbgdG84 . 2021-12-21 . live. Youtube.com.