Edwina Abbott

Edwina Eunice Abbott (1887–1949) was an American psychologist who conducted early experimental research on memory and cognition, including work related to what is now known as the testing effect.

Early Life and Education

Edwina Eunice Abbott was likely born on January 6, 1887 (some less reliable sources claim 1883) in Chicago, Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois during her Bachelor's degree, writing her thesis in 1908 on the analysis of the memory function in orthography. Later, and influenced by Hermann Ebbinghaus' research she conducted what would be later understood as her pioneering work on the analysis of the factor of recall in the learning process for her Master of Science thesis. Eventually, she earned a PhD in Psychology from the University of Chicago in 1914.

Professional career

After her graduation, she established an early laboratory for developmental and clinical research and treatment in Wichita, Kansas, in which she worked as both a researcher and clinician.

Later, she kept working as a Director and Clinical Psychologist of the Wichita Child Guidance Center from its opening date, September 1930 to March, 1941. She was a staff consultant psychologist for a number of social agencies, as well as part of the American Psychological Association and Kansas Psychological Association.

Research and contributions

Abbott was the first psychologist to formally empirically study the testing effect, which she researched as a student for her Master's degree and Doctorate.

Selected publications