Frederic Bartlett
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederic Charles Bartlett FRS (20 October 1886 – 30 September 1969) was a British
psychologist
and the first professor
of experimental psychology
at the University of Cambridge
. He was one of the forerunners of cognitive psychology
. However, while Bartlett considered his own work on cognitive psychology, especially remembering, to be a study in social psychology more recent developments have individualised his concepts.
One of his most famous studies was on the cognitive and social processes of remembering. He composed a series of short fables (the best known was called The War of the Ghosts), each of which comprised a sequence of events which were ostensibly logical but subtly illogical, and there were several discreet non-sequiturs. He would recite this story to subjects, then later (sometimes much later) ask them to recall as much of it as possible. He discovered that most people found it extremely difficult to recall the story exactly, even after repeated readings, and hypothesised that, where the elements of the story failed to fit into the schemata
of the listener, these elements were omitted from the recollection, or transformed into more familiar forms.
The U.K.
Ergonomics Society
awards a Bartlett medal in his honour, and the Experimental Psychology Society
holds an annual Bartlett Lecture.
as an undergraduate before joining the staff of the then Cambridge Psychological Laboratory. He took up his chair in 1931 and held it until his retirement in 1951. With Kenneth Craik
he was responsible for setting up the Medical Research Council
's Applied Psychology Research Unit
(APU) at Cambridge in 1944, becoming Director of the unit after Craik's early death in 1945.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1932 (a rare distinction for a psychologist
), and knight
ed in 1948 for services to the Royal Air Force
, on the basis of his wartime work in applied psychology. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1958.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and the first professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He was one of the forerunners of cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
. However, while Bartlett considered his own work on cognitive psychology, especially remembering, to be a study in social psychology more recent developments have individualised his concepts.
One of his most famous studies was on the cognitive and social processes of remembering. He composed a series of short fables (the best known was called The War of the Ghosts), each of which comprised a sequence of events which were ostensibly logical but subtly illogical, and there were several discreet non-sequiturs. He would recite this story to subjects, then later (sometimes much later) ask them to recall as much of it as possible. He discovered that most people found it extremely difficult to recall the story exactly, even after repeated readings, and hypothesised that, where the elements of the story failed to fit into the schemata
Schema (psychology)
A schema , in psychology and cognitive science, describes any of several concepts including:* An organized pattern of thought or behavior.* A structured cluster of pre-conceived ideas....
of the listener, these elements were omitted from the recollection, or transformed into more familiar forms.
The U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Ergonomics Society
Ergonomics Society
The Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors is the UK-based professional society for ergonomists, human factors specialist and those involved in user-centred design....
awards a Bartlett medal in his honour, and the Experimental Psychology Society
Experimental Psychology Society
The Experimental Psychology Society is an academic society which facilitates research into experimental psychology and communication between experimental psychologists. It is based in the United Kingdom....
holds an annual Bartlett Lecture.
Biography
Bartlett studied moral science at St John's College, CambridgeSt John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
as an undergraduate before joining the staff of the then Cambridge Psychological Laboratory. He took up his chair in 1931 and held it until his retirement in 1951. With Kenneth Craik
Kenneth Craik
Kenneth James Williams Craik was a philosopher and psychologist who studied philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and received his doctorate from Cambridge University in 1940...
he was responsible for setting up the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
's Applied Psychology Research Unit
Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
The ' is a branch of the UK Medical Research Council, based in Cambridge, England. The CBSU is a world-leading centre for cognitive neuroscience, with a mission to improve human health by understanding and enhancing cognition and behaviour in health, disease and disorder...
(APU) at Cambridge in 1944, becoming Director of the unit after Craik's early death in 1945.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1932 (a rare distinction for a psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
), and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1948 for services to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, on the basis of his wartime work in applied psychology. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1958.
Books
- Exercises in logic (Clive, London, 1922)
- Psychology and primitive culture (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1923)
- Psychology and the soldier (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1927)
- Remembering (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1932)
- The problem of noise (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1934)
- Political propaganda (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1940)
- Religion as experience, belief, action (Cumberledge, London, 1950)
- The mind at work and play (Allen and Unwin, London, 1951)
- Thinking (Allen and Unwin, 1958)