Frederic Bartlett
British psychologist who pioneered cognitive and cultural psychology.
Sir Frederic Charles Bartlett (20 October 1886 – 30 September 1969) was a British psychologist and the first professor of experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge. He was a forerunner of cognitive psychology and cultural psychology, and his work on memory, particularly the reconstructive nature of remembering, remains foundational. Bartlett considered much of his cognitive psychology to be a study in social psychology, and he also engaged with anthropology, moral science, philosophy, and sociology.
- born
- 20 October 1886
- died
- 30 September 1969
- field
- Psychology
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Schema theory, reconstructive memory, 'War of the Ghosts' experiment, transmission chain method
Lore & Background
After 'Remembering', Bartlett focused on combining psychology and anthropology to strengthen social psychology methodologies, meeting with colleagues from psychology, anthropology, and sociology twice a year from 1935 to 1938. His interest in applied experimental psychology grew, and in 1944 he and Kenneth Craik set up the Medical Research Council's Applied Psychology Research Unit (APU) at Cambridge, working with Magdalen Dorothea Vernon. After Craik's death in 1945, Bartlett became Director. Their applied research addressed government agency issues, including training and experimental designs. Bartlett's later book 'Thinking' (1958) examined thinking processes using methods similar to those in 'Remembering', such as story completion experiments. He was knighted in 1948 for his wartime work in applied psychology and received numerous honors, including election to the Royal Society in 1932, the C.B.E. in 1941, and the Royal Medal in 1952.
Reader's Guide
Frederic Bartlett's significance lies in his foundational contributions to cognitive psychology, particularly his theory of memory as a reconstructive process shaped by cultural schemas. His 'War of the Ghosts' experiment demonstrated that memory is not a passive recording but an active construction influenced by prior knowledge and cultural background. This work challenged earlier models of memory and laid the groundwork for schema theory, which continues to influence cognitive science. Bartlett also advanced applied psychology, especially during World War II, where his research on training and human performance had practical military applications. His interdisciplinary approach—bridging psychology, anthropology, and sociology—helped establish cultural psychology as a field. The transmission chain method he developed remains a tool for studying cultural transmission. Today, his legacy is honored by the Bartlett medal awarded by the UK Ergonomics Society and the annual Bartlett Lecture by the Experimental Psychology Society.
Did You Know?
- Bartlett was homeschooled during his secondary years due to pleurisy but still played golf, tennis, and cricket.
- He originally wanted to study anthropology but was encouraged by his mentor W.H.R. Rivers to train as a psychologist first.
- In the 'War of the Ghosts' experiment, participants often recalled 'canoes' as 'boats', reflecting their own Edwardian English culture.
- Bartlett was knighted in 1948 for his wartime work in applied psychology for the Royal Air Force.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Frederic Bartlett?
Sir Frederic Charles Bartlett (1886–1969) was a British psychologist who held the first chair in experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of both cognitive and cultural psychology.
What is the 'War of the Ghosts' experiment?
In this 1932 study, Bartlett had participants read a Native American folktale and then retell it from memory after increasing delays. He demonstrated that people do not store memories like recordings but actively rebuild them, filling gaps with culturally familiar details and reshaping the narrative to fit their own expectations.
What is schema theory and how did Bartlett develop it?
Bartlett introduced the concept of 'schemas' as mental frameworks that help people organize and interpret new information. He argued that memory is reconstructive rather than reproductive, meaning we rebuild past events using these pre-existing structures instead of replaying them verbatim.
How did Bartlett's work influence modern psychology?
His emphasis on active, meaning-based memory processing laid the groundwork for what later became cognitive psychology, the field that came to dominate the discipline from the 1960s onward. He also anticipated cultural psychology by showing how social context and shared knowledge shape what people remember and how they think.
What was Bartlett's role at Cambridge?
He was appointed the first professor of experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge, a position that let him push beyond the dominant behaviorist and associationist approaches of his era. His interdisciplinary interests spanned anthropology, philosophy, moral science, and sociology, making his work unusually broad for the time.
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