Thorndike, E. L.

Thorndike, E. L. (Edward Lee) (1874–1949) educational psychologist, author, lexicographer; born in Williamsburg, Mass. Influenced by William James while at Harvard, he took his Ph.D. at Columbia University with a thesis that pioneered the study of animal learning. He then taught at the Teachers College of Columbia University (1899–1941). He was one of the founders of modern educational psychology, applying scientific principles and quantitative treatment to psychological research and by developing a theory of stimulus-response-based learning. His work influenced the curriculum and teaching and evaluation methods of public schools by advocating the accommodation of differing aptitudes among students and by developing some of the first aptitude, achievement, and intelligence tests. He provided the basis for school readers used by a generation of American teachers. His records of Teachers College adult night school students proved that the capacity to learn does not diminish significantly with age; this finding led to an increase in adult education programs. Immensely prolific, he published some 450 books and articles; among the most influential of his 78 books are Educational Psychology (3 vols. 1913–14), The Measurement of Intelligence (1927), and The Fundamentals of Learning (1932). In his later years he also applied his theories to language usage and oversaw the Thorndike Century junior (1935) and senior (1941) dictionaries. Along with John Dewey, he was one of the most influential forces on American education in the 20th century.