Margaret Floy Washburn

Margaret Floy Washburn was a pioneering American psychologist during the early 20th century.

She is best known for her experimental research regarding animal behavior and her development of motor theory. Washburn was a true trailblazer for women in science. She became the first woman in the United States to earn a PhD in psychology in 1894. Later, she served as the president of the American Psychological Association in 1921. This was the second woman to hold that prestigious position. Her impact on the field was so significant that she was ranked as the 88th most cited psychologist of the 20th century.

Washburn's journey into higher education was shaped by her early intellect and determination. Born in New York City in 1871, she was an only child who spent much time reading. She entered Vassar College as a preparatory student in 1886 because she needed to learn Latin and French. During her undergraduate years, she discovered a deep interest in philosophy. After graduating from Vassar in 1891, she sought to study at Columbia University. However, Columbia did not admit women as graduate students at that time. She could only attend as an auditor, which means she could listen to lectures but not earn credit. Her mentor, James McKeen Cattell, encouraged her to pursue her doctorate at Cornell University instead.

At Cornell University, Washburn focused her studies on the field of psychology. She worked under E. B. Titchener, who was his first major graduate student. Washburn conducted experimental research on how humans perceive touch, a process known as tactual perception. She also studied how visual imagery might influence how people judge distance and direction. These studies led her to earn a Master's degree from Vassar in 1893. In June 1894, she successfully completed her oral presentation and earned her PhD. This achievement was a landmark moment for women in American science. Her work was so impressive that the famous scientist Wilhelm Wundt even published a translation of her dissertation.

Washburn's professional career included several important teaching roles. After graduating, she served as the chair of psychology, philosophy, and ethics at Wells College for six years. She also held a warden position at the Sage College of Cornell University. Later, she became an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she managed the entire psychology department. In 1903, she returned to Vassar College as an Associate Professor of Philosophy. There, she headed the newly founded psychology department for the rest of her life. She was a dedicated mentor who helped her students publish their own research. Between 1905 and 1938, her students published 68 studies from the Vassar Undergraduate Laboratory. This was the largest series of studies from any American university at the time.

One of Washburn's most significant scientific contributions was her book, *The Animal Mind*. Originally published in 1908, this textbook focused on comparative psychology. This field compares the mental processes of different species. While many scientists of her era only studied rats, Washburn looked at no fewer than 100 different species. Her research included ants, bees, caterpillars, cats, dogs, elephants, and even the tiny amoeba. She used these observations to argue that mental events are important to study. She believed that animal consciousness was not qualitatively different from human mental life. This went against the popular belief that only observable behaviors were worthy of scientific study.

Washburn's interest in animals was deeply personal, as she owned two cats. Her first cat, Hiram, inspired much of her experimental work in animal behavior. She observed how cats performed specific actions, such as jumping over a pencil or using a paw to touch a door handle. Beyond animal behavior, she developed a complex motor theory. In her 1916 book, *Movement and Mental Imagery*, she proposed that consciousness is an epiphenomenon of motor discharge. This means she viewed mental processes as being closely tied to physical movements and bodily excitation. She argued that thinking and moving are deeply intertwined systems.

Throughout her life, Washburn achieved many honors that recognized her expertise. She was the first woman psychologist elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1931. She also served as a United States Delegate to the International Congress of Psychology in Copenhagen. Her writings were vast, spanning thirty-five years and including 127 different articles. These articles covered topics like memory, emotion, and spatial perception. Even after she retired due to a stroke in 1937, her legacy continued. Modern researchers still find echoes of her ideas in the dynamic systems approach used to study human cognition today.