Edward Lee Thorndike (1874–1949) As a graduate student, Thorndike became fascinated by psychology after taking a class taught by William James at Harvard University. Interested in the study of animal behavior, Thorndike conducted his first experiments with baby chicks. When his landlady protested about the chickens in his room, Thorndike moved his experiments, chicks and all, to the cellar of William James’s home—much to the delight of the James children. Following these initial experiments, Thorndike constructed his famous “puzzle boxes” to study learning in cats. Later in life, Thorndike focused his attention on improving educational materials. Among his contributions was the Thorndike-Barnhart Junior Dictionary for children, which is still published today (Thorndike & Barnhart, 1997; R. L. Thorndike, 1991).

Humanities and Social Science Library/New York Public Library/Photo Researchers