Cyril Burt. Portrait of Sir Cyril Ludowic Burt (1883-1971), British psychologist who claimed that intelligence was determined by hereditary rather than environmental factors. Burt was noted for his advancement of the use of statistical analysis in psychology and his studies of child development. A pioneer in the application of psychology to child education, much of Burt's work is still used. However, some of Burt's work became controversial after it was claimed that he had falsified data in order to prove his theory that intelligence was determined mainly by genetic factors.