C.A. Mace
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Cecil Alec Mace (22 July 1894 – 7 June 1971) usually cited as C.A. Mace, was a British
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
and industrial
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
. He is best known for his work on monetary incentives and goal setting theory.


Life

Mace was born on 22 July 1894 to Mary and Walter Mace in Norwich, England. He left home at 18 for
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, intending to study for holy orders. However, instead he chose to read Moral Sciences at
Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...
. He studied under the philosopher G.E. Moore. The British psychologist
Charles Samuel Myers Charles Samuel Myers, CBE, FRS (13 March 1873 – 12 October 1946) was an English physician who worked as a psychologist. Although he did not invent the term, his first academic paper, published by ''The Lancet'' in 1915, concerned ''shell sh ...
, who started the first experimental psychology laboratory in Cambridge, was another mentor. At Cambridge Mace became a pacifist and as a
conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, spent time at
Wormwood Scrubs Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough ...
and
Dartmoor Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers . The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
. Following the war, he was appointed Lecturer in Philosophy and Psychology at the
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
. He married Marjorie Lebus in 1922 and they had two sons. In 1925, he joined
St Andrews University The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, following the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, t ...
to start an experimental psychology laboratory. He introduced the first courses in experimental psychology and set up a laboratory in 1927. In 1932, he became a Reader a
Bedford College, London Bedford College was founded in London in 1849 as the first higher education college for women in the United Kingdom. In 1900, it became a constituent of the University of London. Having played a leading role in the advancement of women in highe ...
. He worked under the direction of Professor
Beatrice Edgell Beatrice Edgell (26 October 1871 – 10 August 1948) was a British psychologist, researcher and university teacher. She taught at Bedford College in the University of London from 1897 to 1933. She was the first British woman to earn a PhD in psyc ...
, the first woman President of the
British Psychological Society The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. History It was founded on 24 October 1901 at University College London (UCL) as ''The Psychological Society'', the org ...
. During World War II, Mace was appointed a Head of Psychology at
King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
. The department was transferred to Birkbeck in 1944 and Mace became the first Birkbeck Chair of Psychology, a position he retired from in 1961. Mace died on 9 June 1971.


Influence

Mace's work on ''Incentives: Some Experimental Studies'' (1935) discredited the notion that workers are primarily incentivized by money. He also stated that people have a "will to work." In 1935, he conducted the first empirical studies of
goal setting Goal setting involves the development of an action plan designed in order to motivate and guide a person or group toward a goal. Goals are more deliberate than desires and momentary intentions. Therefore, setting goals means that a person has com ...
. His most influential books were ''Sibylla; or the Revival of Prophecy'' and ''The Psychology of Study''.


Awards and honours

*President of the Aristotelian Society, 1948-9 *President of the Psychological Section, British Association, 1951 *President of the British Psychological Society, 1952–53


Literary works

* (1926) '' Sibylla; or, the Revival of Prophecy.'' * (1929) ''A Manual of Psychology.'' * (1932) * (1933) '' The Principles of Logic. An introductory survey''. * (1937) ''Supernormal Faculty and the Structure of the Mind.'' * (1953) ''Current Trends in British Psychology''. Edited by C. A. Mace and P. E. Vernon. * (1954) ''The Psychological Approach to Scientific Management - can this be applied in the home?'' * (1957) '' British Philosophy in the Mid-Century. A Cambridge symposium.'' Edited by C. A. Mace. * (1973) ''Selected papers.''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mace 20th-century British philosophers 1894 births 1971 deaths Academics of Bedford College, London Academics of Birkbeck, University of London Academics of King's College London Academics of the University of Nottingham Academics of the University of St Andrews People educated at the City of Norwich School People from Norwich Presidents of the British Psychological Society Presidents of the Aristotelian Society Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge 20th-century British psychologists