Broadbent, Donald

Basic Biography

Donald Eric Broadbent was born on May 6, 1926 in Birmingham, England. Although born in England, he identified himself as Welsh since he was of Welsh parentage and lived in Wales for most of his boyhood years. At age 13 he won a scholarship to Winchester College, a prestigious English Public School where he completed his schooling. He joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II and was sent to the USA to train as a pilot. After his stint in the RAF, he studied psychology at Pembroke College, Cambridge University. On completing his undergraduate studies, he joined the research staff of the Applied Psychology Unit (APU) in Cambridge where he was able to continue his research studies. In 1958, he was appointed director of the unit, a position he held for the next 16 years. In 1961 he began a productive research collaboration with Margaret Gregory, who became his second wife in 1972. The APU grew substantially in both size and scope under his leadership and, tiring...