Cyril Burt was an English educational psychologist and geneticist who also made contributions to statistics, known for his studies on the heritability of intelligence. Shortly after his death his twin studies were discredited when evidence emerged that he had falsified research data, including inventing correlations between separated twins that did not exist, alongside other fabrications, making his case one of the most consequential scandals in the history of psychological research.
Facts
Nationality / Culture Defining ContributionKnown for his studies on the heritability of IQ, later discredited after evidence emerged that he had falsified research data, inventing correlations in separated twins which did not exist. 1 Disputed
BirthplaceWikipedia's own biography section records this as disputed: some sources give Stratford-upon-Avon instead of London, likely a confusion with his father's Snitterfield, Stratford address in Who's Who. Connections
Associated With
An early and influential (later discredited for data fraud) figure in differential psychology and mental testing.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Cyril Burt
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Shortly after he died, his studies of inheritance of intelligence were discredited after evidence emerged indicating he had falsified research data, inventing correlations in separated twins which did not exist, alongside other fabrications.
Biography section
He died of cancer at age 88 in London on 10 October 1971.
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