How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
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B. F. Skinner was a famous psychologist whose work became popular in the 1930s. Carnegie cites Skinner’s studies several times, which illustrate that animals rewarded for good behavior will learn more effectively than animals punished for bad behavior. Later studies showed that the same is true of humans, supporting Carnegie’s idea that appreciation is more effective than criticism.

B. F. Skinner Quotes in How to Win Friends and Influence People

The How to Win Friends and Influence People quotes below are all either spoken by B. F. Skinner or refer to B. F. Skinner. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Self-Interest vs. Selflessness Theme Icon
).

Part 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

B. F. Skinner, the world-famous psychologist, proved through his experiments that an animal rewarded for good behavior will learn much more rapidly and retain what it learns far more effectively than an animal punished for bad behavior. Later studies have shown that the same applies to humans. By criticizing, we do not make lasting changes and often incur resentment.

Related Characters: Dale Carnegie (speaker), B. F. Skinner
Page Number and Citation: 5-6
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Chapter 1 discusses how futile it is to criticize, condemn, and complain as a means of trying to change other people’s behavior, and this passage underscores that key idea. Throughout the chapter, Carnegie emphasizes that positive feedback works far better than punishment or criticism. In this quote, he moves past anecdotal evidence and uses scientific studies from psychologist B. F. Skinner to support his points. It is worth noting that this was likely a later addition to How to Win Friends and Influence People, as B. F. Skinner’s research on the subject was published in 1938, two years Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atq
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B. F. Skinner Character Timeline in How to Win Friends and Influence People

The timeline below shows where the character B. F. Skinner appears in How to Win Friends and Influence People. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 1
Positivity vs. Negativity Theme Icon
Psychologist B. F. Skinner proved that animals rewarded for good behavior will learn more rapidly and effectively than an... (full context)
Part 4, Chapter 6
Positivity vs. Negativity Theme Icon
Psychologist B. F. Skinner has shown that praise always works better than criticism. John Ringelspaugh found this with his... (full context)