Some observations and remembrances of Kenneth W. Spence

Abstract

Kenneth W. Spence was among the most influential learning theorists of the 20th century. He was not only a pioneer in the genesis of computational models but an articulate systematist and scholar regarding the place of theory in psychology. The following observations and remembrances were offered at the University of Iowa as part of a tribute to his contributions on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Special issue to commemorate the intellectual contributions of Allan R. Wagner.

“…The many ways in which researchers have challenged Wagner’s theories and have adapted those theories to new applications are all testimony to the continuing impact of one of the major contributors to our discipline. In this way, this special issue serves as a fitting tribute to Wagner, who viewed the role of a successful mentor to be “one of creating a better theory than existed” and encouraging others to “think that their contributions might make some difference” (Wagner, 2008b, p. 172).…”

“…Allan R. Wagner received his PhD in 1959 from the University of Iowa working under the tutelage of Kenneth Spence. As he noted in a 2008 remembrance, Wagner in many ways modeled his own approach to learning theory after that of Spence, taking a pragmatic stance that judged theoretical ideas on whether they were useful rather than on where they came from (Wagner, 2008b). And, like the Spence he described, Wagner was notable as a theorist, a methodologist, and a teacher.…”