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Born
Kenneth Craik was born March 29th 1914 in Leith, Edinburgh United Kingdom. -
Education
At the age of 17 Craik entered the University of Edinburgh where he studied philosophy and psychology. -
Research
As a research student at Cambridge University, Craik began combining his philosophical and psychological interests into his experiments. His experiments namely concentrated on visual adaptations. His research in visual adaptations at night and in poor visibility led to advancements in aircraft systems visual displays and instrument designs. Bartlett (1945) -
Excerpt from The Nature of Explanation
"If the organism carries a “small-scale model” of external reality and of its own possible actions within its head, it is able to try out various alternatives, conclude which is the best of them, react to future situations before they arise, utilise the knowledge of past events in dealing with the present and future, and in every way to react in a much fuller, safer, and more competent manner to the emergencies which face it." (Craik 1943, 61) -
The Nature of Explanation
Craik is most known for The Nature of Explanation, which he published in 1943. Here Craik laid the foundation for the concept of Mental Models. He explains that the mind builds internal representations of external reality. The mind uses these small-scale models of reality to understand and predict the external reality. According to Craik (1943) the ability of the mind to construct these models is what give the mind it’s “immense adaptive and constructive significance”. Williams (2018) -
Cambridge Appointment
In 1944 Craik was appointed to Director of the newly established Unit of Research Applied Psychology at Cambridge University. -
Death
A year later, on May 08th 1945, Kenneth Craik died after being struck by a car while cycling in Cambridge United Kingdom. -
References
Bartlett, F.C. (1945) Dr. K.J.W. Craik [Obituary], Nature 155: 720
Craik, Kenneth J.W. (1943) The Nature of Explanation, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Williams, Daniel (2018) Predictive Minds and small-scale models: Kenneth Craik's contribution to cognitive science, Philosophical Explorations, 21, 2