Occasional Evenings: B.F. Skinner Plays Himself — a Screening and Discussion

“If I am right about human behavior, I have written the autobiography of a nonperson.” So wrote B.F. Skinner, the behavioral psychologist best known for his theory of operant conditioning, which holds that associations and consequences can incentivize or discourage certain types of human behavior. Taking Skinner’s proposition as a point of departure, the filmmaker Ted Kennedy’s B.F. Skinner Plays Himself explores the life of the prolific and controversial scholar through never-before-seen footage recovered from a failed educational film shot in the 1970s. Turning Skinner’s theories of conditioning on Skinner himself, Kennedy explores how the environment of film production—its false starts, unused takes, and behind-the-scenes deliberations—shaped his behavior as he was recorded, questioned, and directed.

Join us Thursday, February 12, at BISR Central for a screening of B.F. Skinner Plays Himself, followed by a conversation between Kennedy and BISR faculty Rebecca Ariel Porte and Isi Litke. They will discuss Skinner’s life and work—from his early experiments with rats, pigeon-guided bombs, and air-conditioned baby cribs, to his later speculative fiction—as well as the critical possibilities of the documentary form, the complicated legacy of behaviorism, and the figure of the public intellectual. What can studying Skinner as a documentary subject teach us about the conditions that produce new behaviors?

The event is free to attend, with a suggested $10 donation. Beer, wine, seltzer, and snacks will be provided. Doors open at 6:30pm; the screening will begin at 7pm. Please RSVP below.

Event Schedule

Thursday, 7:00pm ET
February 12, 2026

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