Burt, Sir Cyril (Lodowic) (1883-1971)

Professor of psychology and psychic researcher. He was born March 3, 1883, in London and studied at Oxford University (M.A., D.Sc.). In 1932 he married Joyce Muriel Wood. Burt was psychologist for the London County Council (1913-32) and professor of education at the University of London (1924-31) prior to assuming his post as professor of psychology at University College, London (1931-50). During his career as a psychologist, he concentrated on the role of heredity in the development of intelligence and the application of psychology to education. He was the author of a number of books, edited the British Journal of Statistical Psychology, was president of the Psychological Section of the British Association in 1923, and was president of the British Psychological Society in 1942. He was knighted in 1946.

Burt had a special interest in parapsychology. He assisted the young student Samuel G. Soal, who began his career in parapsychology in Burt's laboratory. Burt carried on studies with mediums and did theoretical work on the nature of survival. He also promoted the need to understand perception in light of our knowledge of parapsychology. Besides a number of papers in parapsychological journals, he authored Psychology and Psychical Research (1968).

Burt died October 10, 1971. Since then it has been discovered that he doctored data to support his work on heredity and intelligence and appropriated other people's work as his own. The revelation of fraud and plagiarism has led to much of his early work being set aside.

Sources:

Burt, Cyril. Psychology and Psychical Research. London: Society for Psychical Research, 1968.

Hearnshaw, L. S. Cyril Burt, Psychologist. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1979.