Finding aid for the Edward C. Tolman papers

Biography of Edward C. Tolman

Edward Chace Tolman was born on April 14, 1886 in West Newton, Massachusetts. Tolman graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1911 with a degree in electrochemistry. He graduated from Harvard in 1915 with a PhD in psychology. While at Harvard, Tolman spent a year in Germany studying under Kurt Koffka and was introduced to Gestalt psychology. Tolman spent the majority of his career (1918 to 1954) at the University of California, Berkeley.

A cognitive behavioral psychologist best known for his studies of learning in rats using mazes, Tolman introduced the concepts of latent learning, cognitive maps, and intervening variables to the field. He was chairman of Lewin's Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues in 1940 and was elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1949. He served as president of APA in 1937 and won the association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in 1957.

Tolman died on November 19, 1959.

Scope and Content

The Edward C. Tolman papers consist largely of materials relating to publications written by Tolman, particularly Principles of Purposive Behavior, published in 1957. Most publications included in this collection include various drafts and annotations. Coursework taught by Tolman also defines the collection. Tolman's professional endeavors are reflected in the materials to include correspondence with colleagues, research notes, and attended conferences.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Subject Headings

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Persons:

Preferred Citation

Cite as: [identification of item], [folder number, box number], Archives of the History of American Psychology, The Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology - The University of Akron