Kuo Zing-yang (or Z. Y. Kuo; ; 1898–1970), was a Chinese

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

and

physiological Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

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 was a renowned educator and is also notable as having been the President of

Zhejiang University Zhejiang University (ZJU) is a public university, public research university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and D ...

, who was expelled by Zhejiang students in 1935. Kuo was known as "Out-Watsons Mr. Watson" in the international anti-instinct movement.

Biography

Kuo was born in

Shantou Shantou, Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Swatow and sometimes known as Santow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China, with a total population of 5,502,031 as of the 20 ...

, Guangdong Province in 1898. Kuo studied at

Fudan University Fudan University (FDU) is a public university, national public university in Yangpu, Shanghai, Yangpu, Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education and is co-funded with the Shanghai Municipal ...

in Shanghai. In 1918, Kuo went to study in the United States. In 1923, while studying at

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

, Kuo was offered the chance to earn a Ph.D. However, the school suggested he change some parts of his thesis. Rather than making those changes, Kuo chose to stick with his original work and decided not to present his thesis, which meant he couldn't earn his doctorate. Kuo went back to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, and founded the Department of Psychology at Fudan University in 1924. Kuo was a professor, the

Vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

; and from April 1924 to November 1925, the acting President of Fudan University. From 1927 to 1936, Kuo taught at National Central University and Zhejiang University. From 1933 to 1936, Kuo was the President of Zhejiang University, and did the most important research of his academic career - about animal's

behavior Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions of Individual, individuals, organisms, systems or Artificial intelligence, artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or or ...

epigenetics In biology, epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that happen without changes to the DNA sequence. The Greek prefix ''epi-'' (ἐπι- "over, outside of, around") in ''epigenetics'' implies features that are "on top of" or "in ...

. In December 1935, the December 9th Movement broke out, which led to a large student strike in Zhejiang University. There were some severe conflicts between Kuo and some students and faculty, and Kuo was described as "autocratic" in the handling this incident. Chiang Kai-shek then intervened, leading to Kuo's resignation from his university president position. From 1936 to 1945, Kuo was a

visiting scholar In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting scientist, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic fo ...

to United States, and did research and lectured in several American universities. Kuo was a

visiting professor In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting scientist, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic fo ...

of UC Berkeley,

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

, and a researcher at Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C.. From 1946 to 1970, Kuo resided in

Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...

, Hong Kong. Kuo was a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

. Kuo died in Hong Kong on 14 August 1970 at age 72.

Works

* Article
"Giving up Instincts in Psychology"
''The Journal of Philosophy,'' Vol. 18, No. 24 (Nov. 24, 1921), pp. 645-664.
Chapter 3: From Watsonian Behaviorism to Behavior Epigenetics
(by Zing-Yang Kuo). * Book: ''The Dynamics of Behavior Development: An Epigenetic View''; by Gilbert Gottlieb, Zing-Yang Kuo; June 1976. * Book: ''The Dynamics of Behavior Development''; by Zing-Yang Kuo; Random House Press, 1967. * Book: ''Instinct''; 1961. Princeton, NJ:Van Nostrand.

Extra materials

''"To be a big shot or to be shot": Zing-Yang Kuo's other career''
(by Geoffrey H. Blowers, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) (Using the above link will provide a new link "content.pdf" that you can use to see the full text of the article.)

Zing-Yang Kuo (biography)
* Robert Epstein: ''Comparative Psychology as the Praxist Views It''; Journal of Comparative Psychology. Vol 101(3), Sep 1987, 249–253. * Gottlieb, G. (1972): ''Zing-Yang Kuo: Radical scientific philosopher and innovative experimentalist (1898–1970)''; Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 80, 1–10.

References

External links

Presidents of Zhejiang University - Zing-Yang Kuo

* ttp://seuaa.seu.edu.cn/s/14/t/33/a/3018/info.htm Zing-Yang Kuo's brief biography from Southeast University {{DEFAULTSORT:Kuo, Zing-Yang 1898 births 1970 deaths Academic staff of the University of Hong Kong Fudan University alumni People from Chaoyang District, Shantou Chinese psychologists Hong Kong psychologists University of California, Berkeley alumni Academic staff of Zhejiang University Educators from Guangdong Presidents of Zhejiang University 20th-century psychologists