Themanthemyththelegend

Kenneth Craik (1914-1945)

By ckinderknecht11

  • Birth

    Birth
    Kenneth Craik was born on March 29, 1914. He was the son of James Craik and grew up in Scotland. He would work for an extensive education, including getting his doctorate from Cambridge University. While not necessarily the most well known of his field, Craik would be a pioneer of his study, founding an entire new area of expertise.

  • The Nature of Explanation

    The Nature of Explanation
    In 1943, Craik wrote The Nature of Explanation. Most notably, this marked the birth of mental models. This concept describes how humans use past experiences to predict the future. It also marks the start of a new field of scientific study which focuses on the mind: cognitive science. Craik, Kenneth. The Nature of Explanation. 1943.

  • Death

    Death
    Craik died on May 7, 1945 at the age of 31 after getting hit by a car while on his bike. Despite this, he made lasting impacts in the philosophical community as one of the pioneers of his field of study. He would late be immortalized by several sources, however, including his former college. An award, The Kenneth Craik Research Award, would be made in his name.

  • Theory of Human Operators in Control Systems

    Theory of Human Operators in Control Systems
    After his death, in 1947 and 1948, the two parts of Craik's "Theory of Human Operators in Control Systems" were published. Furthering into cognitive science, these papers compared human behavior to that of machines to describe how humans handle tasks. More specifically, how they correct themselves. These papers were landmarks for breaking down human behavior in a observable form. Craik, Kenneth. Theory of the Human Operator in Control Systems. 1974.