0:18 [Music] Bloomington Indiana October 1945 13-month-old Deborah Skinner makes newsreel headlines and brings her father to national attention as the man who keeps his baby in a box the so-called box was actually a climate controlled crib young psychologist BF Skinner had invented a combination bed and play pen to keep his
0:50 daughter protected and comfortable filtered air and a removable base made it hygienic and healthy so she never suffered a cold or infection temperature and humidity could be adjusted and with no need of clothes or blankets Deborah could exercise freely without risk of smothering she was so content she never cried public reaction to the air crib foreshadowed what was to happen with almost all of BF Skinner's ideas I got hundreds of letters where
1:21 can we get these and then somehow or other the attitude changed and U the rumors began to go out that I kept the child in the cage and um I still get inquiry did you did you keep your child in the cage uh and also of course there have been all sorts of rumors about awful things that happened to her I'm happy to say college educated happily married very talented
🔒 The full, searchable transcript is available with Pro.
Common questions about this video