Margaret Floyd Washburn
Born: July 25, 1871 Died: October 29, 1939
Who was she??
Margaret Washburn was the first woman ever to earn a doctorate degree (in 1894 at Harvard) in American psychology. She was also the second woman (after Mary Caulkins) to serve as APA president.
What is she known for?
Margaret Floyd Washburn is well known for being named fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. She was the Second woman ever to receive that. She is best known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development. She is also known for writing "The Animal Mind" which compiled her research on animal psychology.
Fun Fact: She remained unmarried so she could be a professor.
She was the leading American Psychologist in the early 20th century.
She used her experimental studies in animal behavior and cognition to present her idea that mental (not just behavioral) events are legitimate and important psychological areas.
Fun Fact!
At Cornell University, she studied under E. B. Titchener, becoming his first and only major graduate student at that time. As a graduate student, she conducted an experimental study of the methods of equivalences in tactual perception, as was suggested by Titchener.
More about Washburn:
She took ideas from all major schools of thought in psychology, behaviorism, structuralism, functionalism, and Gestalt psychology, but rejected the more speculative theories of psychodynamics as being too ephemeral.