Editing B. F. Skinner (section)

=== Air crib ===
The air crib is an easily cleaned, temperature- and humidity-controlled [[box-bed]] intended to replace the standard infant [[Infant bed|crib]]. After raising one baby, Skinner felt that he could simplify the process for parents and improve the experience for children. He primarily thought of the idea to help his wife cope with the day-to-day tasks of child rearing. Skinner had some specific concerns about raising a baby in the rough environment where he lived in Minnesota. Keeping the child warm was a central priority (Faye, 2010).<ref name="JoyceFaye">{{Cite journal |first1=Nick |last1=Joyce|first2=Cathy |last2=Faye  |name-list-style=amp |date=2010-09-01 |title=Skinner Air Crib |journal=Aps Observer |url=https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/skinner-air-crib |volume=23}}</ref> Though this was the main goal, it also was designed to reduce laundry, diaper rash, and cradle cap, while still allowing the baby to be more mobile and comfortable. Reportedly it had some success in these goals as it was advertised commercially with an estimate of 300 children who were raised in the air crib. ''Psychology Today'' tracked down 50 children and ran a short piece on the effects of the air crib. The reports came back positive and that these children and parents enjoyed using the crib (Epstein, 2005).<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199511/babies-in-boxes |title=Babies in Boxes |first=Robert |last=Epstein |date=November 1, 1995 |magazine=[[Psychology Today]]}}</ref> One of these air cribs resides in the gallery at the Center for the History of Psychology in Akron, Ohio (Faye, 2010).<ref name="JoyceFaye"/>

The air crib was designed with three solid walls and a safety-glass panel at the front which could be lowered to move the baby in and out of the crib. The floor was stretched canvas. Sheets were intended to be used over the canvas and were easily rolled off when soiled. Addressing Skinners' concern for temperature, a control box on top of the crib regulated temperature and humidity. Filtered air flowed through the crib from below. This crib was higher than most standard cribs, allowing easier access to the child without the need to bend over (Faye, 2010).<ref name="JoyceFaye"/>

The air crib was a controversial invention. It was popularly characterized as a cruel pen, and it was often compared to Skinner's [[operant conditioning chamber]] (or "Skinner box"). Skinner's article in ''Ladies Home Journal'', titled "Baby in a Box", caught the eye of many and contributed to skepticism about the device (Bjork, 1997).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bjork |title=B. F. Skinner: A life |journal=Washington, DC: American Psychological Association}}</ref> A picture published with the article showed the Skinners' daughter, Deborah, peering out of the crib with her hands and face pressed upon the glass. Skinner also used the term "experiment" when describing the crib, and this association with laboratory animal experimentation discouraged the crib's commercial success, although several companies attempted to produce and sell it.

In 2004, therapist [[Lauren Slater]] repeated a claim that Skinner may have used his baby daughter in some of his experiments. His outraged daughter publicly accused Slater of not making a good-faith effort to check her facts before publishing. Debora was quoted by the Guardian saying "According to ''Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century'', my father, who was a psychologist based at Harvard from the 1950s to the 90s, "used his infant daughter, Deborah, to prove his theories by putting her for a few hours a day in a laboratory box . . . in which all her needs were controlled and shaped". But it's not true. My father did nothing of the sort."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buzan |first=Deborah Skinner |date=2004-03-12 |title=I was not a lab rat |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/mar/12/highereducation.uk |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>