Robert Yerkes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 26, 1876 |
| Died | February 3, 1956 (aged 79) |
| Known for | intelligence testing |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | psychology |
Robert Mearns Yerkes (/ˈjɜːrkiːz/; May 26, 1876 – February 3, 1956) was an American psychologist, ethologist, eugenicist and primatologist best known for his work in intelligence testing and in the field of comparative psychology.
Yerkes was a pioneer in the study both of human and primate intelligence and of the social behavior of gorillas and chimpanzees. Along with John D. Dodson, Yerkes developed the Yerkes–Dodson law relating arousal to performance.
As time went on, Yerkes began to propagate his support for eugenics in the 1910s and 1920s. His works are largely considered biased toward outmoded racialist theories by modern academics.[1][2]
He also served on the board of trustees of Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public, from 1921 to 1925. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1915,[3] the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1923,[4] and the American Philosophical Society in 1936.[5]
- ^ "Bio Robert Yerkes" Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Facing History. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Spencer, Department of Anthropology Queens College Frank (1997). History of Physical Anthropology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8153-0490-6.
- ^ "Robert Mearns Yerkes". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. February 9, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ "Robert Yerkes". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved May 30, 2023.