1912 – 1984
Edward M. Glaser was an American educational psychologist and philosopher of education, best known for co-developing the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal with Goodwin Watson. His 1941 dissertation at Columbia University's Teachers College, "An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking," established foundational empirical and philosophical groundwork for critical thinking as a teachable, domain-general skill. He was a prominent defender of general critical thinking competencies against domain-specificity critics such as John McPeck.
Co-developed the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, a widely used standardized assessment of critical thinking ability
Authored foundational empirical study on the development of critical thinking (1941, Columbia University)
Defended the existence of transferable, domain-general thinking skills against domain-specificity arguments
Influenced critical thinking pedagogy in American higher education throughout the mid-20th century