Chen Li

Chen Li (; July 22, 1902 – March 18, 2004), also known by his courtesy name Zhuoru and the pen name Fangzheng , was a Chinese psychologist. He was regarded as a pioneer of industrial psychology in China and made important contributions to the study of intelligence, psychological testing, and factor analysis. He served as president of Hangzhou University, dean of the Faculty of Arts and head of the Department of Education at Zhejiang University, and a research fellow at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also served as vice-chairman of the Chinese Psychological Society.

Biography

Chen Li was born on July 22, 1902, in Pingjiang County, Hunan. He graduated from the science program at Hujiang University in Shanghai in 1928. In 1930, he went to the United Kingdom to study at the University of London, where he studied psychology under Charles Spearman. He received a doctorate in psychology from the University of London in 1933 and subsequently conducted research at the University of Cambridge, the British Institute of Industrial Psychology, and the psychology research institute of the University of Berlin.

After returning to China in 1935, Chen served as an industrial psychology researcher jointly appointed by Tsinghua University and the psychology institute of the Academia Sinica. In 1935, he published An Introduction to Industrial Psychology, regarded as the first major monograph on industrial psychology published in China. In 1939, he joined Zhejiang University as a professor of psychology and later served as dean of its Faculty of Arts and head of its Department of Education.

During the period when Zhejiang University was relocated inland during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chen conducted research on theories of intelligence, psychological measurement, and factor analysis. He proposed a theory that the composition of factors underlying intelligence becomes simplified with age. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he continued to teach at Zhejiang University and subsequently served as vice president and president of Zhejiang Normal College and Hangzhou University. He was also a research fellow and member of the academic committee of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chen became president of Zhejiang Normal College in 1957 and later served as president of Hangzhou University. He was instrumental in establishing the university's psychology program and, in 1982, helped establish an industrial psychology laboratory. The laboratory was designated a national key open laboratory in 1990. Chen also held a number of academic and educational positions, including vice-chairman of the Chinese Psychological Society, chairman of its Zhejiang branch, vice-chairman of the Zhejiang Educational Society, and other positions in scientific popularization and education organizations.

Chen was recognized for his contributions to psychology in China. In 1997 and 1998, he received lifetime achievement awards from the Chinese Psychological Society and the Chinese Ergonomics Society, respectively. He was also involved in the compilation of the psychology volume of the Encyclopedia of China and served as one of the initiators of the Association of Chinese Scientific Workers.

Chen Li died on March 18, 2004, at the age of 101.