Burt, Sir Cyril (1883-1971), was an English psychologist who pioneered in intelligence testing among children. His work led to the introduction of the Eleven-Plus examination, a test given to 11-year-old children in the United Kingdom to determine if their future education should be technical or in the arts. In 1976, after Burt’s death, colleagues learned that he had falsified some of the research data upon which his theories were based.
Cyril Lodowic Burt was born on March 3, 1883, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England and educated at Oxford University, in England, and in Germany. He became professor of psychology at University College, University of London, in 1931. King George VI knighted him in 1946. Burt died on Oct. 10, 1971.
