Edwin Boring - Early Life

Early Life

In 1904 Boring attended Cornell University, where he studied electrical engineering. He earned a M.E. degree in electrical engineering in 1908 and then took a job at Bethlehem Steel Company in Pennsylvania. Boring returned to Cornell for an A.M. in physics but was instead drawn to the world of psychology by I. Madison Bentley’s animal psychology course. However, Boring notes that his interest in psychology had already begun in 1905 when he took an elementary psychology class as an elective while pursuing his engineering degree. Bentley's course was under the professorship of Edward B. Titchener and captured Boring’s attention. On one test Boring received back Titchener had even written “You have the psychological point of view!” (p. 31). It was this remark that stuck with him and guided him toward psychology when he arrived at Cornell for the second time.

Boring's minor research strayed too far from Titchener’s definition of psychology. It was at Titchener’s suggestion that he decided to do his thesis on visceral sensibility. He conducted this study by placing a stomach tube in his own stomach, in order to learn more about the sensations of the alimentary tract. The results indicated that the stomach and esophagus were more sensitive to temperature and pressure than was realized at the time. All of these studies indicate Boring’s interest from an early age in the physical and experimental components of psychology. In 1914 Boring's efforts were rewarded when he received his Ph. D.

While he was completing his studies, Boring and his wife, Lucy M. Day, joined Titchener’s lab group, becoming a part of Titchener's selective in-group. Most of their time at Cornell was spent working on Titchener’s research projects. During Boring’s time at Cornell he developed a close relationship with Titchener, one that continued until Titchener’s death in 1927. Boring felt deep respect for Titchener and admired his dedication to his work. In his autobiography he even remarked that he believed Titchener to be the closest to genius of anyone he knew.

Titchener presented Boring with his first opportunity not only to teach but also to practice writing about the history of experimental psychology. Titchener wanted to redesign a systematic psychology course and enlisted his graduate students to do the job. This was a large task; the course covered the entire history of psychology in 3 lectures a week for 2 years. Boring and the rest of the team read through German literature on experimental psychology and many other primary sources of information to complete this project. The finished product was a 200-lecture course. This task sparked Boring's interest in the history that shaped the field; it would also serve as great training for Boring's later publication of his own text, The History of Experimental Psychology, in 1929. This work also gave Boring experience in teaching psychology. He continued to teach psychology at Cornell for 4 years, but was glad when the war forced him to leave this position; Boring felt that Cornell was not in need of him.