FAMOUS FIGURES IN PSYCHOLOGY

1. FAMOUS FIGURES IN PSYCHOLOGY Elizabeth O’Shea & Alexandra Page

2. WILHELM WUNDT(1832-1920) • German Philosopher & Psychologist • Often referred to as the "Father of Experimental Psychology" and the "Founder of Modern Psychology" • Established the first laboratory in the world dedicated to experimental psychology • First experiment was seeking to measure “atoms of the mind”: • Machine measured the time lag between people’s hearing a ball hit a platform and their pressing a telegraph key

3. WILLIAM JAMES • Born January 11, 1842 in New York City. • Studied at Harvard Medical School, but realized his disinterest in medicine. • Began to study with Hermann von Helmholtz and became increasingly interested in psychology. • After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1869, James suffered from depression. • James accepted a job as a psychology instructor and went on to teach at Harvard for the next 35 years. • Founded one of the first experimental psychology laboratories in the United States • His theories: • Pragmatism: the idea that the truth of an idea can never be proven. James proposed we instead focus on what he called the "cash value," or usefulness, of an idea. • Functionalism: opposed the structuralism focus on introspection and instead focused on the wholeness of an event, taking into impact the environment on a behavior. • James-Lange Theory of Emotion: proposes that an event triggers a physiological reaction, which we then interpret.

4. MARY WHITON CALKINS • After previous denial, Miss Calkins was eventually granted permission to sit in on William James’ lectures at Harvard (even when women were denied acceptance into the school.) • In addition to being the first woman president of the American Psychological Association, Calkins also served as president of the American Philosophical Association in 1918.

5. MARGARET FLOY WASHBURN • A leading American psychologist in early 20th century • Best known for experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development. • First woman to be granted a Ph.D in psychology • Claimed, not only one but both approaches to psychology, that behaviorism and introspection, should be involved in studying human behavior

6. SIGMUND FREUD • Originator of Psychoanalysis • His theories have been the subject of considerable controversy and debate, his impact on psychology, therapy, and culture is undeniable. • Freudian Ideas: • The conscious and unconscious mind • The Id, Ego, and Superego • Life and Death instincts • Psychosexual Development • Defense mechanisms

7. CARL ROGERS • Influential American psychologist • One of the founders of the humanistic approach • He wrote 16 books and many more journal articles describing the humanistic approach • Many of his theories have been used for various psychotherapies.

8. ABRAHAM MASLOW • Attended the from the University of Wisconsin where he received his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934 in psychology. • One of the many interesting things Maslow noticed while he worked with monkeys early in his career, was that some needs take precedence over others- therefore, he came up with a HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS

9. JOHN B. WATSON According to John Watson, psychology should be the science of observable behavior. • Watson began teaching psychology at John Hopkins University in 1908. In 1913, he gave a seminal lecture at Columbia University titled Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It, which essentially detailed the behaviorist position. • In his most famous and controversial experiment, known today as the "Little Albert" experiment, John Watson and a graduate assistant named Rosalie Rayner conditioned a small child to fear a white rat. They accomplished this by repeatedly pairing the white rat with a loud, frightening clanging noise. They were also able to demonstrate that this fear could be generalized to other white, furry objects. The ethics of the experiment are often criticized today, especially because the child's fear was never deconditioned.

10. B.F. SKINNER • In 1948, Skinner joined the psychology department at Harvard University where he remained for the rest of his life. • He became one of the leaders of behaviorism and his work contributed immensely to experimental psychology. • He also invented the 'Skinner box,' in which a rat learns to obtain food by pressing a lever. • B.F. Skinner is famous for his research on operant conditioning and negative reinforcement. • Skinner is one of the first to discover operant behavior.

11. IVAN PAVLOV • While researching the digestive function of dogs, Pavlov noted that dogs would salivate before the delivery of food. • In a series of well-known experiments, he presented a variety of stimuli before the presentation of food, eventually finding that, after repeated association, a dog would salivate to the presence of a stimulus other than food. • He termed this response a conditional reflex. • Pavlov also discovered that these reflexes originate in the cerebral cortex of the brain.

12. HARRY & MARGARET HARLOW Harlow’s most famous experiment involved giving young rhesus monkeys a choice between two different "mothers." One was made of soft terrycloth, but provided no food. The other was made of wire, but provided food from an attached baby bottle. • In a series of controversial experiments conducted in 1960s, Harry and MargaretHarlow demonstrated the powerful effects of love. • By showing the devastating effects of deprivation on young rhesus monkeys, Harlow revealed the importance of a mother's love for healthy childhood development. • His experiments were often unethical and shockingly cruel, yet they uncovered fundamental truths that have heavily influenced our understanding of child development.

13. HERMANN EBBINGHAUS The forgetting curve also showed that forgetting does not continue to decline until all of the information is lost. At a certain point, the amount of forgetting levels off. What exactly does this mean? It indicates that information stored in long-term memory is surprisingly stable. • Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was one of the first to scientifically study forgetting. • In experiments where is used himself as the subject, Ebbinghaus tested his memory using three-letter nonsense syllables. Using previously known words would have made use of previously existing knowledge and associations in his memory. • His results, plotted in what is known as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, revealed a relationship between forgetting and time. • Initially, information is often lost very quickly after it is learned.

14. JEAN PIAGET Piaget's theories are widely accepted and studied today by students of both psychology and education. • Jean Piaget provided support for the idea that children think differently than adults. • His research identified several important milestones in the mental development of children. • His work also generated interest in cognitive and developmental psychology. • Best known for his research on children's cognitive development, Piaget studied the intellectual development of his own three children. • Piaget's theory described stages that children pass through in the development of intelligence and formal thought processes. • The theory describes four stages; (1)the sensorimotor stage, (2)the preoperational stage (3)the concrete operational stage, and (4) the formal operation stage.

15. ERIK ERIKSON • Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. • In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. • In Erikson’s view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure. • Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair

16. LAWERENCE KOHLBERG • Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg modified and expanded upon Jean Piaget's work to form a theory that explained the development of moral reasoning. • Kohlberg ‘s theory of moral development outlined six stages within three different levels. • Kohlberg proposed that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan. • Preconvetional Morality , Conventional Morality, Postconventional Morality

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