PSYC290 Psychologists

psychologists only

Sigmund Freud

Developed psychoanalytic theory, which emphasized the role of the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and internal conflicts in shaping personality and behaviour. His work introduced ideas such as defense mechanisms and the importance of unconscious motives.

G. Stanley Hall

Was a pioneer of psychology in North America. He founded the first psychology research laboratory in the United States and became the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA). He also promoted research in child development and adolescence.

Donald Hebb

Was a Canadian psychologist and neuroscientist who made major contributions to biological psychology. He proposed that learning occurs through changes in neural connections in the brain, summarized in the principle often called “Hebb’s rule” (neurons that fire together wire together).

William James

Was a leading figure in functionalism, a perspective that emphasized how mental processes help people adapt to their environment. His book Principles of Psychology became one of the most influential early psychology texts.

Proposed the James-Lange theory of emotion, suggesting emotions result from physiological reactions.

Carl Rogers

Was a key figure in humanistic psychology. He developed client-centered therapy, which focuses on empathy, unconditional positive regard, and helping individuals achieve personal growth and self-actualization.

Known for client-centred therapy and unconditional positive regard

Martin Seligman

Is known as the founder of positive psychology, a movement that studies human strengths, happiness, and well-being rather than only psychological disorders.

Also known for learned helplessness theory.

B. F. Skinner

Was a major figure in behaviourism. He developed the concept of operant conditioning, showing how behaviour can be shaped through reinforcement and punishment.

John B. Watson

Was the founder of behaviourism. He argued that psychology should focus only on observable behaviour rather than internal mental processes, influencing research methods in psychology for many years.

Wilhelm Wundt

Is often considered the father of modern psychology. In 1879 he established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, marking the formal beginning of psychology as an independent scientific discipline. He used introspection to study conscious experience.

Neal Miller

Psychologist known for showing that physiological responses (like heart rate) can be learned and controlled through conditioning and feedback; key figure in biofeedback research.

Robert Rosenthal

Psychologist who studied experimenter expectancy effects; famous for the Pygmalion effect, showing that researchers’ or teachers’ expectations can influence participants’ or students’ performance.

Stanley Schachter

Social psychologist known for the two-factor theory of emotion, which states that emotion is based on physiological arousal + cognitive interpretation of that arousal.

John Atkinson

Developed the achievement motivation theory, explaining how people are driven by a desire to succeed and avoid failure.

David Buss

Applied evolutionary psychology to human behavior, especially in areas like mating and attraction.

Walter Cannon

Proposed the fight-or-flight response and studied how the body maintains homeostasis.

Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen

Identified universal facial expressions of emotion across different cultures.

Joseph LeDoux

Studied the brain’s role in emotion, especially fear and the amygdala.

William Masters and Virginia Johnson

Researched the human sexual response cycle and stages of sexual arousal.

David McClelland

Developed the three needs theory of motivation: achievement, affiliation, and power.

Henry Murray

Introduced the concept of psychogenic needs and contributed to personality theory.

Robert Plutchik

Created the wheel of emotions, identifying basic emotions and how they combine.

Stanley Schachter

Developed the two-factor theory of emotion, emphasizing physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation.

Mary Ainsworth

Psychologist who studied attachment and developed the strange situation procedure.

Jay Belsky

Researcher known for studying parenting, child development, and family influences.

John Bowlby

Psychologist who formulated attachment theory and emphasized the importance of early caregiver bonds.

Erik Erikson

Psychologist who proposed the psychosocial stages of development across the lifespan.

Harry Harlow

Psychologist who studied attachment in monkeys using surrogate mothers.

Lawrence Kohlberg

Psychologist who developed the stages of moral development.

James Marcia

Researcher who expanded identity theory into identity status categories.

Jean Piaget

Psychologist who proposed stage theory of cognitive development in children.

Albert Thomas and Stella Chess

Researchers who studied temperament and its impact on child development.

Lev Vygotsky

Psychologist who emphasized the social and cultural influences on cognitive development.

Alfred Adler 

A psychologist known for proposing individual psychology and the concept of striving for superiority and inferiority complexes

Albert Bandura 

A psychologist known for social learning theory, observational learning, and reciprocal determinism

David Buss 

A psychologist known for evolutionary perspectives on mate selection and human mating strategies

Raymond Cattell 

A psychologist known for trait theory and factor analysis of personality

Norman Endler 

A psychologist associated with situational factors in behaviour and personality expression

Hans Eysenck 

A psychologist known for biological trait theory and dimensions of personality such as introversion and extraversion

Carl Jung 

A psychologist known for analytical psychology, archetypes, and the collective unconscious

Abraham Maslow 

A psychologist known for humanistic psychology and the hierarchy of needs

Walter Mischel 

A psychologist known for the cognitive-affective personality system and situational influence on behaviour

Delroy Paulhus

A psychologist known for research on self-enhancement and positive self-biases

Solomon Asch

A psychologist known for conformity experiments demonstrating the influence of group pressure on judgment

Ellen Berscheid

A psychologist known for research on interpersonal attraction and close relationships

John Cacioppo

A psychologist known for work on social neuroscience, emotion, and physiological responses in social behaviour

William Cunningham

A psychologist known for research on impression formation and social cognition

Leon Festinger

A psychologist known for cognitive dissonance theory and how people justify inconsistent beliefs and behaviours

Elaine Hatfield

A psychologist known for studying romantic love, emotional attachment, and interpersonal relationships

Cindy Hazen and Philip Shaver

A psychologist known for attachment theory in adult romantic relationships

Fritz Heider

A psychologist known for attribution theory and explaining how people interpret behaviour

Irving Janis

A psychologist known for group decision-making failures such as groupthink

Dennis Krebs

A psychologist known for evolutionary perspectives on altruism and helping behaviour

Stanley Milgram

A psychologist known for obedience studies involving authority and compliance

Robert Sternberg

A psychologist known for the triangular theory of love (intimacy, passion, commitment)

Bernard Weiner

A psychologist known for attribution theory of motivation (how people explain success and failure)

Mark Zanna

A psychologist known for research on attitudes and persuasion processes

Roy Baumeister

A researcher known for work on self-control and social behaviour.

Robin DiMatteo

A researcher known for physician-patient communication and health decision-making.

Albert Ellis

A cognitive therapist known for rational-emotive behaviour therapy.

Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman

Researchers known for identifying stress related to life changes.

Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe

A researcher known for stress appraisal and coping theory.

Richard Lazarus

A researcher known for learned helplessness research.

Shelley Taylor

A psychologist known for researching stress, coping, and social support.

Martin Antony

A psychologist known for research and treatment approaches for anxiety disorders and phobias

Aaron Beck

A psychologist known for cognitive therapy and the cognitive model of depression

Robert Hare

A psychologist known for research on psychopathy and development of the Psychopathy Checklist

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

A psychologist known for research on depression, rumination, and gender differences in mood disorders

David Rosenhan

A psychologist known for the Rosenhan experiment challenging the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis

Regina Schuller

A psychologist known for research on mental illness stigma and public perceptions of psychological disorders

Thomas Szasz

A psychiatrist known for criticizing the medical model and arguing that mental illness is a myth

Dorothea Dix

A mental health reformer who improved conditions in psychiatric hospitals

Keith Dobson

A psychologist known for work in cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression

Les Greenberg

A psychologist known for emotion-focused therapy

Donald Meichenbaum

A psychologist known for stress inoculation training and cognitive-behavioural approaches

Zindel Segal

A psychologist known for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

Joseph Wolpe

A psychologist known for systematic desensitization and behaviour therapy