AP Psych: Psychologists

Julian Rotter

Developed the concept of locus of control, identifying how much individuals believe they can control events affecting them.

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist known for his theory of self-concept (real and ideal) and emphasis on self-actualization and unconditional positive regard.

Gordon Allport

Developed the trait theory of personality, emphasizing individual differences and the importance of personal traits in defining behavior.

Hans Eysenck

Developed the Factor Analysis Model with 4 categories: Extraversion/Introversion, Emotional Stability/Instability.

McCrae & Costa

Known for the Big 5 Personality Traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN).

Carl Jung

Developed concepts like collective unconscious and archetypes, emphasizing psychology in individuation and myth/spirituality.

Franz Gall

Pioneered phrenology, the study of skull shapes, to determine personality traits and mental abilities.

Roger Sperry

Discovered the functional specialization of the brain's hemispheres through the corpus callosum, highlighting distinct roles of each side in cognition and behavior.

Young-Helmholtz

Proposed the Trichromatic Theory that cones contain 3 receptors sensitive to red, blue, and green.

Hering

Proposed the Opponent Process theory that we process 4 primary colors opposed in pairs: red-green and blue-yellow.

Richard Atkinson & Richard Shiffrin

Developed the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model that memory is processed in 3 stages: sensory, short-term, and long-term.

George Sperling

Developed Iconic Memory, demonstrating the fleeting nature of sensory memory and brief storage of visual information.

George “Magic” Miller

Proposed the concept of 'chunking' to enhance short-term memory capacity, suggesting information can be organized into manageable units.

Alan Baddeley

Proposed the Working Memory Model, emphasizing the active processing of information in short-term memory.

Kandel/Schwartz

Significantly contributed with their research on synaptic plasticity and memory tracing.

Elizabeth Loftus

Studied the malleability of human memory, particularly how misinformation can alter recollections of events.

Chomsky

Pioneered theories on language acquisition and the innate structures of the mind that facilitate learning.

Whorf

Pioneered theories on language acquisition, specifically how language shapes thought and worldview.

Ivan Pavlov

Performed studies on classical conditioning, notably pairing a bell with an unconditional stimulus (food).

John Watson

Conducted the Little Albert experiment, classically conditioning a baby to fear different stimuli through association.

B.F. Skinner

Developed the theory of operant conditioning, demonstrating how behaviors can be shaped through reinforcement and punishment.

Edward Thorndike

Formulated the Law of Effect, stating that responses followed by favorable consequences become more likely.

Keller Breland

Formulated Instinctive Drift, the tendency of conditioned behavior to return to a more innate behavior.

Martin Seligman

Formulated Learned Helplessness, the feeling of helplessness due to repeated exposure to uncontrollable events.

Wolfgang Kohler

Formulated Insight, the abrupt realization of a problem’s solution.

John Garcia

Formulated Taste Aversion, which occurs when a substance eaten is followed by illness.

Edward Tolman

Formulated Latent Learning, learning that appears only when there is an incentive, and Cognitive Maps, a mental representation of environments.

Robert Rescorla

Formulated the Contingency Model of Classical Conditioning, emphasizing stimuli providing information about event likelihood.

Albert Bandura

Formulated Observational Learning, emphasizing learning through observing others, and Reciprocal Determinism which considers interactions between personal factors, behavior, and environment.

Yerkes Dodson

Developed the Yerkes-Dodson Law, stating there is an optimal level of arousal for the best task performance.

Abraham Maslow

Developed the Hierarchy of Needs, proposing human motivation is based on fulfilling a series of needs from basic to self-actualization.

Cannon & Washburn

Developed the correlation of stomach contractions with hunger and enlargement with satiety.

Konrad Lorenz

Proposed the concept of imprinting, detailing how young animals form attachments during a critical development period.

Harry Harlow

Conducted experiments illustrating the importance of contact comfort over nourishment in attachment.

Mary Ainsworth

Developed the 'Strange Situation' procedure, assessing attachment styles in infants based on separation and reunion responses.

Erik Erikson

Developed the theory of psychosocial development consisting of eight stages characterized by central conflicts contributing to personality formation.

Jean Piaget

Developed the stage theory of cognitive development detailing four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.

Karen Wynn

Researcher demonstrating that young children possess a basic understanding of numbers and object permanence.

Lev Vygotsky

Emphasized social interaction and culture in cognitive development and introduced the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

Kohlberg

Known for theory of moral development outlining stages individuals pass through while developing moral reasoning.

Marcia

Known for identity development, including four identity statuses: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement.

Hans Selye

Known for research on stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome, describing the body's response to stressors in three stages.

Francis Galton

Pioneering work in eugenics and the study of individual differences regarding intelligence and heredity.

Alfred Binet

Developed the first practical intelligence test (Binet-Simon), foundational for IQ testing.

William Stern

Developed the famous IQ formula: IQ = (mental age / chronological age) x 100.

Lewis Terman

Adapted Binet's work to develop the Stanford-Binet intelligence test, popularizing the concept of IQ.

Charles Spearman

Developed the theory of general intelligence, or 'g factor,' positing intelligence consists of a single underlying ability.

L.L. Thurstone

Proposed the primary mental abilities theory, arguing intelligence combines several independent factors.

Robert Sternberg

Proposed triarchic theory of intelligence, identifying analytical, creative, and practical intelligence.

Howard Gardner

Proposed the theory of multiple intelligences, identifying at least eight distinct types of intelligence.

David Wechsler

Developed WAIS and WISC, emphasizing a broader definition of intelligence including verbal and performance abilities.

Sigmund Freud

Introduced concepts of the unconscious mind, defense mechanisms, and the significance of early childhood in shaping personality.

Egaz Moniz

Introduced lobotomy as a surgical treatment for severe mental disorders, raising ethical implications.

Philippe Pinel

Advocated for humane treatment of the mentally ill, transforming mental healthcare in the late 18th century.

David Rosenhan

Conducted 'On Being Sane in Insane Places,' revealing challenges in distinguishing sanity and insanity.

Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck

Cognitive Therapists.

Mary Cover Jones

Applied Classical Conditioning for Therapy.

Joseph Wolpe

Developed systematic desensitization methodology.

Philip Zimbardo

Best known for the Stanford prison experiment, examining situational variables' effects on behavior.

Leon Festinger

Best known for his theory of cognitive dissonance, explaining discomfort from contradictory beliefs.

Solomon Asch

Best known for research on conformity and the influence of group pressure on individual behavior.

Milgram

Best known for experiments on obedience to authority, exploring willingness to follow conflicting orders.