Jean Matter Mandler
Encyclopedia
Jean Matter Mandler is Distinguished Research Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego
and Visiting Professor at University College London
.
She was born in Oak Park, Illinois
in 1929 and attended Carleton College
before transferring to Swarthmore College
where she graduated summa cum laude in 1951. She received her Ph. D. In Psychology at Harvard University
in 1956. After a series of research positions – common for women in the 1950-60s – at Harvard, the University of Toronto
, and at UCSD, she became an Associate Professor at UCSD in 1973 and Professor in 1977; she retired as a Research Professor in 2000. In 1986 she was one of the founding members of the Department of Cognitive Science.
Mandler is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and of the Society of Experimental Psychologists
. She has been active on the editorial board of several developmental journals.
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
and Visiting Professor at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
She was born in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
in 1929 and attended Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
before transferring to Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
where she graduated summa cum laude in 1951. She received her Ph. D. In Psychology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1956. After a series of research positions – common for women in the 1950-60s – at Harvard, the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and at UCSD, she became an Associate Professor at UCSD in 1973 and Professor in 1977; she retired as a Research Professor in 2000. In 1986 she was one of the founding members of the Department of Cognitive Science.
Research
Mandler's early research was on animal learning and in the 1960s she worked on textual analysis, including the development of a widely used story grammar. Starting in the 1970s she turned to developmental problems with special emphasis on early conceptual development which culminated in her influential book on the foundations of mind. In 2006 the book received the "Eleanor Maccoby Outstanding Book Award" from the Division of Developmental Psychology, APA, and in 2007 the "Best Authored Book Award" from the Cognitive Development Society. In 2007 she was also given the American Psychological Association's "Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award".Mandler is a Fellow 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...
and of the Society of Experimental Psychologists
Society of Experimental Psychologists
The Society of Experimental Psychologists , originally called the Society of Experimentalists, is an academic society for experimental psychologists. It was founded by Edward Bradford Titchener in 1904 to be an ongoing workshop in which members could visit labs, study apparatus, and hear and...
. She has been active on the editorial board of several developmental journals.
Books by Jean Mandler
- Mandler, J. M., & Mandler, G. (1964). Thinking: From Association to Gestalt. New York: Wiley.
- Mandler, J. M. (1984). Stories, scripts, and scenes: Aspects of schema theory. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Mandler, J. M. (2004). The foundations of mind: The origins of conceptual thought. New York: Oxford University Press.