1. Charles Henry Turner (1867-1923)

2. The Man African American scientist Entomologist
Relevance in Psychology
Behavior/Techniques of insects

3. Early Life Born in 1867 in Cincinnati, OH
Parents: Thomas Turner and Addie Campbell
Poor upbringing
Interest in nature and insects
Thirst for knowledge
Woodard High School Valedictorian

4. Family/Personal Life Married Leontine Troy in 1887 strange death
Three children
Remarried Lillian Porter in 1908
Married until 1923 death

5. Importance of Education
Animals are prejudiced against animals unlike themselves, and the more unlike they are the greater the prejudice, but with humans, dissimilarity of minds is a more potent factor in causing prejudice than unlikeness of physiognomy
-Charles H. Turner (1902)

6. Zeitgeist Education & racial harmony 1887 Jim Crow Laws
1902 article: “Will Education of the Negro Solve the Race Problem?”
W.E.B DuBois
Booker T. Washington

7. Zeitgeist Behaviorism Animal influence Ivan Sechenov William Small
Existence of mind in lower animals
Animal influence
Ivan Sechenov
William Small
E.L. Thorndike
Ivan Pavlov

8. Historical Influences
Charles Darwin
- On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
Radl
- Two reasons insects can hear
Romanes
- Moth observation
Sir James Lubbock
- Ants, Bees, Wasps, A Record of Observations on the Habits of the Social Hymenoptera
Tuner’s son: Darwin Romanes

9. The Student and Scientist
1889: Attended the University of Cincinnati
1891: B.S. degree in Biology
1892: M.S. degree in Biology
1907: First African-American granted a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (Zoology)

10. Professional Obstacles/Struggles
Racism and Isolation
Inability to secure an academic appointment at a university
Limited Resources
Lack of Recognition

11. The Experimenter and Author
Animal Behavior
Unconventional subjects (including ants, bees, wasps, spiders, cockroaches, crustaceans, moths, pigeons, and plants)
Complex apparati
Integrated field and laboratory research and conducted experiments in both environments

12. Publications, Publications, Publications!
Turner published some 70 scientific papers,
including:
1891: “Morphology of the avian brain.” (his first publication – completed as partial performance of his B.S. degree)
1892: “Psychological notes upon the gallery spider.”
1906: “A preliminary note on ant behavior.”
1910: “Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee”
1914: “An experimental study of the auditory powers of the giant silkworm moths, Saturniidae”
1924: (Last publication – posthumous): “A new field method of investigating the hydrotropisms of fresh-water invertebrates”

13. Research, Experiments, & Clinical Data

14. C. H. Turner (1910). Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee
C.H. Turner (1910). Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee. Biological Bulletin, 19,
“Whether insects can or cannot distinguish color is a matter of much theoretical importance, for the correct interpretation of the relation of insects to flowers depends upon this answer.”
Red, Blue, and Green colored disks, “cornucopias,” and boxes in a field of white sweet clover
Results/Conclusions - Conclusive evidence that honey bees can see color!
Bees responded to color when it was deemed significant (e.g. a source of honey/food)
It is not the scent/odor of the food source alone that attracts the bees (they would pass by some of the disks loaded with “more than a thousand times as much honey as any one of those flowers did nectar”)
Other Observations
Orienting Flight and Memory Pictures
Lack of Recognition – Von Frisch controversy

15. C.H. Turner (1914). An experimental study of the auditory powers of the giant silkworm moths, Saturniidae. Biological Bulletin, 27,
Early morphological assumptions concluded that insects possessed an auditory sense for 2 reasons (Romanes, etc.):
Many insects are capable of producing sounds
Insects possess organs that seemed structurally fitted to act as receptors of sound waves
Turner sought to provide empirical proof to supplant such morphological assumptions
One of the first Classical Conditioning experiments with insects
2 Main Conclusions:
Moths can hear
Their response seems to depend on whether or not the sound has a life significance (e.g. is suggestive of a predator)

16. Giant Silkworm Moths, cont.
Part I – All Subjects
Subjects
79 S. cecropia
104 P. cynthia
41 C. promethea
81 T. polyphemus
Setup
Out of doors insectary
North wall almost entirely wire netting
3 wooden, windowless, walls and shelf rests supported by ground – wooden floor also on ground but unattached to the walls or shelf rests
Heavy swinging shelf suspended from ceiling by picture wire (subjects kept on this shelf)
“Since I always stood on the floor when sounding any of the instruments, [precautions were taken so that] it was impossible for the vibrations to reach the moths by any medium other than the air” (pg. 325).
Materials
Adjustable Organ Pipe
Adjustable Pitch Pipe
Edelmann’s Galton Whistle

17. Giant Silkworm Moths, cont.
Method
Instrument sounded 5 times at 1 minute intervals
Records made of moths’ behavior – movement of wings as though about to fly = “response”
Measured Response, and Effects of Age, Temperature, and Mating
Results
Cecropia, cynthia, and promethea all responded to a wide range of sound waves
Of the 78 polyphemus, only 3 responded in any way…

18. Giant Silkworm Moths, cont.
Part II – Only polyphemus
Hypothesis about unresponsiveness:
The species is deaf and responses were the result of some factor overlooked by the investigator, or
Responses are expressions of emotion and polyphemus has a “sluggish temperament”
Known:
Moth is exceptionally unresponsive to all ordinary stimuli
Moth is “protectively colored” and inconspicuous in certain situations, AND inconspicuous coloration might be correlated with the instinct to remain rigidly immobile in the presence of all ordinary stimuli
Test subjects: freshly emerged polyphemus
Materials: organ pipe set to 256 vibrations/second
Trial: pipe sounded – no visible response from moth

19. Giant Silkworm Moths, cont.
Method:
Organ Pipe sounded 5x in rapid succession
Insect roughly handled for a few minutes – tossed about, gently squeezed, and thrown on its back
Repeated several times
Once moth quieted, pipe sounded 5 more times

20. Giant Silkworm Moths, cont.
Results:
Each time pipe sounded, moth waved wings vigorously
Experimentally caused moth to associate disagreeable experience with certain sounds and to respond to sounds it previously would/did not respond to
Polyphemus can hear too!
Experiments induced state of nervous excitability, causing the moths to respond
2 Conclusions (reiterated!)
Moths can hear
Their responses are expressions of emotion to sounds that have life significance

21. The Scholar and Teacher
1891: Contributor to The Journal of Comparative Neurology
Student of Clarence Luther Herrick
: Assistant instructor in Biological Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati
: Professor of Biology & Chair of the Science Department at Clark University
: High School Principal of College Hill High School
1907: Elected as a Delegate at the Seventh International Zoological Congress and Secretary of the Animal Behavior Section
C.L. Herrick-geologist and neurologist

22. The Scholar and Teacher cont.
: Professor of Biology and Chemistry at Haines Normal and Industrial Institute
: High school teacher at Sumner High School (St. Louse, MO)
Starting salary $1080/year
He continued to publish during his years at Sumner
1910/1912: Elected to membership in the St. Louis Academy of Science
1912: The Crises magazine honors Turner as one of the “Men of the Month”
Devised and constructed own research
No grants provided, paid for by himself (on his 1080 salary)
Moths and everything besides the ants were researched at Sumner

23. Strengths Theory Principles accepted Could be used to make predictions
Insects can hear
Ants
Can form practical judgments
Do not slavishly follow odor trails back to the nest/home
Light rays a factor
Have definite impressions of direction, including both horizontal and vertical orientation and distance
Can be trained to do simple things, just like vertebrates
Beth and Wasmann
Individual differences
Principles accepted
Could be used to make predictions
Publisher
70 scientific papers
Studies
Initiated 1st controlled vision and pattern in honey bees

24. Weaknesses Later Standing Bee Anecdotal Behavior
Lacks adequate control of brightness
Addressed but not resolved
Anecdotal
Ammophila
Behavior
Genes and environment, nature vs. nurture

25. His Influences & Contributions
Entomology
Dissertation- “The Homing of Ants: An Experimental Study of Ant Behavior.”
Key figure in ant behavior
Techniques
Learning of invertebrate species
Emphasis on training variables
Intertrial interval
Intercession interval

26. Influences & Contributions cont.
Behaviorism (Comparative Psychology)
Watson- term “behavior” from Turner’s A Preliminary Note on Ant Behavior
France
Turner’s Circling – A type of ant behavior
T.C. Schneirla
Learning and Orientation in ants
“For this contribution and for his emphasis of the learning ability of ants, Turner’s place in the literature should not be a minor one.”
Comparative Neurology
Contributed to Vol. 1 (1891) of The Journal of Comparative Neurology
“Neurology” Journal- Clarence Luther Herrick

27. In His Honor
1954: Charles Henry Turner Middle Branch (formerly Charles Henry Turner Open Air School for Crippled Children, 1925, St. Louis MO)
Belief that air was helpful to those suffering from tuberculosis
MEGA-education and diversity: This follows his idea of

28. Charles Henry Turner MEGA Magnet Middle School (1999)
Mega-Multimedia Electronic Graphic Arts
Traditional skills along with computer skills, dimensional drawing
A multi-racial school for 6th-8th grade students
Upon graduation, students can enter Sumner High School

29. Animal Behavior Society
Tanner-Turner Hall
Clark College
Animal Behavior Society
Poster session
Goal- increase diversity and encourage researchers from minority and all age
Abramson, C.I., L.D. Jackson, & C.L. Fuller (Eds.) (2003). Selected Papers and Biography of Charles Henry Turner ( ): Pioneer of Comparative Animal Behavior Studies (Black Studies Vol.17). Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press.
Tanner-Turner, Clark College (Atlanta)-Biology and Art Deparment.

30. M. E. Ross (1997). Bug Watching with Charles Henry Turner
M.E. Ross (1997). Bug Watching with Charles Henry Turner. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.
a biography/activity book for children

31. Charles Henry Turner House
National Register of Historic Places.
Turner family lived here and Dr. Turner had an important role in St. Louis as a teacher and in the scientific field (many of his articles published while in St. Louis)

32. Summary
Turner believed in the power of educating both the mind of black and white in an effort to rid society of ignorance and promote tolerance.
His work can be applied to various fields, including: Psychology, Neurology, Zoology, and Biology
In spite of the racism of his time, the inability to secure academic appointment at a university, limited resources, and a persistent lack of recognition, he published over 70 scientific articles and was the first African-American to be published in several journals

33. Summary
His work focused on animal behavior and he is credited (among other things) with demonstrating that:
Ants have definite impressions of direction and distance, and, like vertebrates, they can be trained to do simple things
Honey bees can see color and are not attracted to food sources based on scent alone
Moths can hear and their responses are emotional expressions to sounds that have life significance
Ultimately gave evidence to show that humans, animals, and insects are a lot a like.

35. References
Abramson, C. I. (2003). Charles Henry Turner: Contributions of a forgotten African-American to scientific research. Retrieved May 22, 2006, from
Abramson, C.I., L.D. Jackson, & C.L. Fuller (Eds.) (2003). Selected Papers and Biography of Charles Henry Turner ( ): Pioneer of Comparative Animal Behavior Studies (Black Studies Vol.17). Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press.
Guthrie, R. V. (2004). Even the rat was white: A historical view of psychology (2nd ed., ). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Haines, D.E. (1991). The contributors to Volume 1 (1891) of The Journal of Comparative Neurology: C.L. Herrick, C.H. Turner, H.R. Pemberton, B.G. Wilder, F.W. Langdon, C.J. Herrick, C. von Kupffer, O.S. Strong, T.B. Stowell. Dec 1;314(1):9-33. Retreived May 22, 2006, from
Jackson, D. M. (n.d.). Who was Charles Turner? Retrieved May 26, 2006, from
J. B. W. (1907). A preliminary note on ant behavior (review). Psychological Bulletin, 4(9),
Magnet Middle Schools. Retreived June 7, 2006, from
Planet Science. (n.d.). Charles Henry Turner ( ). Retrieved June 1, 2006, from
Sammons, V. (1990). Blacks in science and medicine. New York: Hemisphere Publishing.
Schneirla, T. C. (1929). Learning and Orientation in Ants. Comparative Psychology Monographs, 6 (no.4) p Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins Press.
Schultz, D.P. & Schultz S. (2004). A History of Modern Psychology (8th ed., ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Turner, C. H. (1906). A preliminary note on ant behavior. Biological Bulletin, 12,
---. (1907). Do ants form practical judgments? Biological Bulletin, 13,
---. (1910). Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee. Biological Bulletin, 19,
---. (1914). An experimental study of the auditory powers of the Giant Silkworm Moths (Saturniidae). Biological Bulletin, 27,
Turner, C. H. & Schwarz, E. (1914). Auditory powers of the Catocala Moths: An experimental field study. Biological Bulletin, 27,
Welcome to the Ville. Retrieved June 7,