author
C. A. (Cecil Alec) Mace
1894–1971
A British philosopher and industrial psychologist, he wrote with unusual clarity about how people learn, work, and stay motivated. Best known for early work on goal-setting and study methods, he helped shape practical psychology for students and workplaces alike.
1 Audiobook
Sibylla : or, The revival of prophecy
by C. A. (Cecil Alec) Mace
About the author
Born in Norwich in 1894, he went to Queens' College, Cambridge intending to prepare for holy orders, but turned instead to Moral Sciences. He studied under G. E. Moore and was influenced by psychologist Charles Samuel Myers, an early force in experimental psychology.
After World War I, he taught philosophy and psychology, later building experimental psychology at St Andrews and then working in London. During and after World War II, he led psychology at King's College London, and when the department moved in 1944 he became the first Birkbeck Chair of Psychology, remaining there until his retirement in 1961.
He is remembered for influential work on motivation, including early research on monetary incentives and goal-setting, and for The Psychology of Study, a practical book that linked psychology to everyday learning. That mix of serious thinking and useful advice still makes his work feel approachable today.