George Humphrey

This article is about the English psychologist. For the US politician of the same name, see George M. Humphrey .

George Humphrey

George Humphrey (born July 17, 1889 in Boughton, Kent , † April 24, 1966 in Cambridge ) was an English psychologist and learning theorist. His main work The Nature of Learning was written as early as 1933.

George Humphrey first studied classical literature at the University of Oxford , but then changed subjects and studied psychology at the University of Leipzig under Wilhelm Wundt and finally at Harvard University , where he was also awarded his doctorate in psychology in 1920. In 1924 he became professor of philosophy at Queen's University in Kingston ( Canada ). In 1947 he left Canada and moved back to Oxford , where he was director of the newly established Institute for Experimental Psychology until his retirement (1956).

Among other things, Humphrey introduced experimental psychology at Queen's University and steadily expanded the range of courses in psychology. During World War II, Humphrey developed a recruitment test for the Allied forces. The first systematic description of the habituation phenomenon comes from Humphrey; this form of learning was his main research area in Canada. Humphrey also wrote two novels under a pseudonym.

Works

George Humphrey: The Nature of Learning and its relation to the living system . London 1933.