Chris Frith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Frith
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Chris Frith in 2012
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Christopher Donald Frith
16 March 1942 |
| Education | The Leys School |
| Alma mater | |
| Spouse(s) | Uta Frith |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Fyssen Foundation Prize Jean Nicod Prize European Latsis Prize |
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| Thesis | Individual differences in pursuit rotor and tapping skills (1969) |
| Doctoral advisor | Hans Eysenck |
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Christopher Donald Frith (born March 16, 1942) is a famous British psychologist. He is a professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London. Chris Frith also works with the Interacting Minds Centre at Aarhus University in Denmark. He is known for his research on how our brains work, especially when we interact with other people.
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Chris Frith's School Days
Chris Frith was born in 1942 in a place called Cross in Hand, Sussex. He went to The Leys School in Cambridge. Later, he studied Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge. He finished his first degree in 1963. After that, he earned a special diploma and a PhD (a very high university degree) in London. His teacher for his PhD was Hans Eysenck.
Exploring the Brain: Chris Frith's Research
Chris Frith has written many scientific papers. More than 500 of his papers have been published in journals. These papers are reviewed by other scientists. He has also written several books about the brain.
Understanding Schizophrenia
In 1975, Frith joined a research group. They were studying the brain and a condition called schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia sometimes have delusions. This means they believe things that are not true. For example, they might feel that outside forces are controlling their actions.
Frith suggested that our brains predict what will happen when we move. This helps us feel like we are in control of our own actions. He thought that if this process is disrupted in schizophrenia, people might feel like their actions are controlled by others. This idea is still being explored today.
Using Brain Scans to Learn More
In the 1990s, Chris Frith was one of the first scientists to use special brain scans. These scans are called PET and fMRI. They help scientists see which parts of the brain are active. He used these scans to study how we make choices. He also looked at how we become aware of things (our consciousness). And he studied how we understand what other people are thinking and feeling. This is called Theory of Mind.
How Our Brains Work Together
Chris Frith and his wife, Uta Frith, have done important work on how we understand other people. This is called social cognition. It has become a very popular topic in brain science.
In 2007, Chris Frith started working with scientists in Denmark. They studied how people's minds interact. They showed how groups of people can make better decisions together. They also looked at how people adapt their actions when working with others. Their work shows that our minds are shaped by how we interact with other people.
Some of Chris Frith's former students have also become famous scientists. These include Geraint Rees and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore.
Awards and Honors
Chris Frith has received many important awards for his work. He became a Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences in 2000. He also became a Fellow of The Royal Society and The American Association for the Advancement of Science in the same year. In 2008, he became a Fellow of The British Academy.
In 2008, a special event was held in his honor. It was called 'Mind in the Brain'. In 2009, he won the Fyssen Foundation Prize. He and Uta Frith also won the European Latsis Prize for their work on the brain and mind. In 2014, they received the Jean Nicod Prize for their research on social cognition.
Chris Frith's Family Life
Chris Frith has two brothers. One is a guitarist named Fred Frith. The other is a musicologist (someone who studies music) named Simon Frith.
In 1966, Chris Frith married Uta Frith. She is also a famous developmental psychologist. This means she studies how people's minds grow and change. In 2008, a painting was made of them both. They have two sons. One is a scientist who uses computers to study biology. The other is an author.
