Kenneth Craik (1914-1945)

The Nature of Explanation

1943

Craik is known for is his book "The Nature of Explanation." In his theory, the mind actively creates a model of the outside world that it uses as a foundation for thinking about the outside world and making sense of incoming sensory data (Craik 96). This notion of perception as an active process in which the mind creates world models has had a significant impact on cognitive psychology and contributed to the development of our knowledge of human cognition.

Director of Applied Pysch Unit

1944

Craik was known as being ‘very adept at making
things with his hands' and 'Craik
joined Bartlett’s group at a time when
ability of this kind was just what was
needed and possessing it put him in a
key position. A new building came into
use while Craik was still a research
student, and Bartlett relied on him
heavily for the equipping of the workshop
and the ordering of materials for it.’ (The MRC Applied Pyschology Unit)

Death

1945

On May 7th, 1945 tragedy struck. Kenneth Craik was riding his bicycle when he was "knocked off his bicycle by a car door opened in front of him and he was thrown under a passing lorry" (Campello 2020)

The Nature of Psychology: A Selection of Papers, Essays and Other Writings by Kenneth J. W. Craik

1966

Craik claimed that the mind cannot be reduced to the brain alone in his seminal essay "The Nature of Mind," as it must also take into account the organism's operating environment and the sensory and motor systems that enable it to interact with the outside world (Craik 19). Now that it has gained widespread acceptance in philosophy and cognitive research, the notion of an embodied mind is considered as posing a significant threat to conventional conceptions of mind-brain identity.