Skinner’s First Publication?

This article examines publication as a product of verbal behavior selected by audience control and applies this analysis to reconsider the chronology of B. F. Skinner’s earliest published works. I identify Skinner’s 1919 poem in the Lone Scout as his first publicly disseminated output, highlighting how different audiences alter what counts as a “first publication.” This historical reframing underscores the functional role of an audience in defining scholarly products across Skinner’s early contributions.