MARGARET FLOY WASHBURN (1871-

1939)
By Caitlin Theisen
"Nothing in the world is so compelling to the emotions as the mind
of another human being. Margaret Washburn
(Please look for other quotes
throughout the presentation,
as they help to better explain
her views on things! They will
be present under the little
comment boxes, click the Cs
to expand them.)
EARLY LIFE
Born July 25, 1871 in Harlem, New
York to a wealthy family

Only child and loner, but very close to
parents

Wrote that her intellectual life began
with her fifth birthday- the first time
she can remember ever thinking
about herself

Read constantly- female authors and
the classics- and loved music

Wrote of a very unsatisfactory and
insufficient education system at the
public school level

Graduated high school at 15.
ACADEMIC LIFE
Went on to study French and Chemistry at Vasaar, but interests changed
to philosophy and science.

Combination = experimental psychology went to Colombia to study
under Cattel in 1891 (Wunt school of psychology)

Wasnt allowed to be a graduate student, only a hearer.

Transferred to Sage school of philosophy at Cornell in 1892- first
graduate student under Edward Titchener (also student of Wunt)- earned
masters and doctorate

Titchener sent her thesis to Wunt, who translated and published it in a
german periodical!

CAREER
First job as Chair of Psychology, Philosophy, and Ethics at
Wells College from 1894-1900.
Salary of $300 and home. Max was $700. Men were paid $1,500.
Returned to Cornell to be a warden of a womens
dormitory for two years at mens salary
Next accepted position as assistant professor of
psychology at the University of Cincinnati
Only woman, but treated equally
Became associate professor of philosophy at her alma
mater of Vasaar in 1903- stayed there rest of career

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PSYCHOLOGY
1909-1915: Cooperating editor of the Psychological Bulletin
1911-1917: Associate editor of the Journal of Animal Behavior
1916-1930: Advisory editor of the Psychological Review
1921: President of the American Psychological Association!
1921-1935: Associate editor of the Journal of Comparative
Psychology

Primary areas were consciousness, learning, attention,
emotion, and other mental processes in humans and
animals.
Dualist
She published two books, The Animal Mind in 1908, and
Movement and Mental Imagery in 1917.
MAJOR WORKS
The Animal Mind
contributed greatly to
the field of comparative
psychology, noting
similarities in learning
and attention between
humans and animals.

Through her research
review, Washburn also
helped establish
standardized definitions
of vocabulary.
MAJOR WORKS
Movement and Mental
Imagery developed
Washburns motor theory of
consciousness, or how
motor movements were
important to psychological
processes.

According to her, higher
consciousness is only
present when an animal
can delay its reactionary
response movements to
stimuli. Delaying shows
decision-making and
learning from previous
experiences.
MY THOUGHTS
Margaret Washburn was a fiercely intelligent
woman that paved the way for future women
psychologists and scholars.
She wasnt exactly a womens activist, but she
showed that women have a place in academia
simply by doing the work as though it were
commonplace for women, and doing it better
than many men in the field.
I respect her even more for taking jobs that
reflected her interests rather than prestigious
jobs because she felt she had something to
prove.
TRADING CARD
Born July 25, 1871 in Harlem,
NY
Attended Vasaar, Colombia,
and Cornell
Studied under Titchener and
the Wunt school of psychology
Co-edited many psychology
publications and served as the
president of the American
Psychological Association in
1921
Wrote two books that
contributed to knowledge
about learning, attention,
emotion, and consciousness
in humans and animals.
Died October 29, 1939
QUIZ QUESTIONS
Margaret Washburn made significant
contributions to:
a. experimental psychology
b. behavioral psychology
c. comparative psychology
d. functionalism
Washburn was a(n):
a. interactionist
b. dualist
c. separatist
d. monist

REFERENCES
Bumb, J. Margaret Floy Washburn. Retrieved from
http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/washburn.html
Washburn, M. F. 1930. Autobiography of Margaret
Floy Washburn. Worcester, MA: Clark University
Press. Retrieved from
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Washburn/murchison.ht
m
Psychologys Feminist Voices. (2010). Margaret Floy
Washburn. Retrieved from
http://www.feministvoices.com/margaret-floy-
washburn/