David Krech facts for kids

David Krech (born March 27, 1909 – died July 14, 1977) was an American psychologist. He was born in Poland and became known for his work in experimental and social psychology. Krech taught mostly at the University of California, Berkeley.

He worked with many famous psychologists like Edward C. Tolman, Karl Lashley, and Rensis Likert. Krech studied how the brain works and how people behave in groups. He even testified in a major court case about fairness in schools.

Early Life and Name Change

David Krech was born Yitzhok-Eizik Krechevsky on March 27, 1909, in Lithuania. He was one of nine children. In May 1913, when he was four, his family moved to Connecticut, USA. He was a very good student in school.

As a child, Krech loved writing stories. He also studied Hebrew and Yiddish. He kept his love for the Hebrew language throughout his life.

He changed his name to Isadore Krechevsky when he came to the United States. Later, in 1943, he changed it again to David Krech. This happened when he married Hilda Sidonie Gruenberg. He wanted his future children to have a name that would not cause them any problems in school or their careers.

David Krech and Hilda had one son, Richard. David Krech passed away at his home in California on July 14, 1977, when he was 67 years old.

Education Journey

After finishing elementary and high school, Krech went to Washington Square College at New York University (NYU). He first wanted to study law. However, in his second year, he found he liked psychology more. This happened after he took an introductory psychology class.

As a psychology student, he took a class where he learned about Comparative psychology. This field compares the behavior of different species, often animals. He started doing experiments with laboratory rats. He earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from NYU in 1930. He then got his master's degree from NYU in 1931.

For his PhD, Krech went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he continued to study rats. He was greatly influenced by Edward C. Tolman, another famous psychologist. Krech earned his PhD from Berkeley in 1933.

Career Highlights

After getting his PhD, Krech worked with Karl Lashley in Chicago. They studied how brain injuries affected rats. Krech later supervised the lab when Lashley left.

While in Chicago, Krech became interested in helping society. He worked for an organization called New America. This group aimed to improve the United States during the Great Depression. He also helped create the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI). This group encouraged psychologists to research important and sometimes difficult topics.

After four years, Krech moved to Swarthmore College. There, he set up an animal research lab. He also taught at the University of Colorado Boulder. However, he was fired from the university because of disagreements about political matters.

After leaving the University of Colorado, Krech worked for Rensis Likert. He learned about studying people's attitudes. Krech also joined the United States Army and worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). In this role, he did social psychology experiments. These experiments helped evaluate people who would become spies during World War II.

Later, Krech returned to Swarthmore College as a professor. This is when he started publishing his work under the name David Krech. In 1947, he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He taught social psychology and worked with Richard Crutchfield.

Krech also taught as a visiting professor in Norway and at Harvard University. He temporarily left Berkeley because he refused to sign a political loyalty oath required at the time.

A very important part of his career was his involvement in the Briggs v. Elliott court case. This case was about the "Separate but equal" law, which allowed racial segregation in schools. Krech worked with Thurgood Marshall and Kenneth and Mamie Clark. He testified that separating children based on race could harm them psychologically. This was the first time a social psychologist was allowed to give expert testimony in a Supreme Court case.

Once the loyalty oath rule was removed, Krech returned to Berkeley. He then focused mainly on experimental psychology. He retired from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1972.

Groundbreaking Research

Krech started his research as an undergraduate. He was a lab assistant, caring for rats and ants. He began his own animal experiments using a "Hypothesis Box." He studied how rats solved problems.

For his master's thesis, Krech was inspired by Karl Lashley's book, Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence. He found that learning is not just random. Instead, it's a step-by-step process. Incorrect actions are stopped, and correct ones are "stamped in" or remembered. He continued this research for his PhD at University of California, Berkeley with Edward C. Tolman.

At the University of Chicago, Krech worked with Karl Lashley. They explored how brain processes affect behavior. At Swarthmore College, he set up an animal lab. He studied perception and new ways to analyze it.

During his time in the United States Army, Krech focused on measuring attitudes. He also helped evaluate candidates for spy missions.

After returning to University of California, Berkeley, Krech began studying how chemical changes in the brain might be linked to learning. He worked with Melvin Calvin, Mark Rosenzweig, and Edward Bennett.

In 1960, Marian Diamond, a brain expert, joined their team. Together, they studied how enriching or dull environments affected rat brains. They found that the brains of rats in enriched environments were thicker. This showed that experiences could actually change the brain's structure. Diamond recalled Krech saying, "This is unique. This will change scientific thought about the brain." Their team continued to publish their findings until Krech retired in 1972.

Awards and Recognition

David Krech received many awards for his important work:

• Citation of Achievement from New York University
• Award from the International Forum of the Neurological Organization
• Certificate of Merit from the Mathematics and Science Center
• In 1970, he received the APA Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology. This is a very high honor in psychology.
• Honorary doctorate from University of Oslo
• Miller Research Professorship at Berkeley
• President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
• Two Fulbright fellowships