A few might be less recognizable, but their mark on the history of psychology is without question.
B. F. Skinner
B.F. Skinner is one of history’s most famous psychologists.
According to Skinner, all learning is the result of conditioning processes viareinforcementandpunishment.
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When a behavior is reinforced, it is more likely to occur again in the future.
If it is punished, it is less likely to occur again.
Skinner is remembered for his concepts ofoperant conditioningandschedules of reinforcement.
His theory ofcognitive developmentmade him one of the most famous psychologists in history.
His work had a particularly significant impact on the understanding of children’s intellectual growth.
His research contributed to the growth ofdevelopmental psychology, cognitive psychology, genetic epistemology, and education reform.
Sigmund Freud
When people think of famous psychologists, their minds immediately go toSigmund Freud.
His theories and work also introduced the idea that talking about psychological problems could help alleviate them.
Freud also offered evidence that cultural differences impact psychology and behavior.
His work contributed to our understanding of human development, personality,clinical psychology, andabnormal psychology.
Bandura’ssocial learning theorystressed the importance ofobservational learning, imitation, and modeling.
Cognitive dissonance is the state of discomfort you feel when you hold two conflicting beliefs.
For example, you may smoke even though you know it is bad for your health.
Hissocial comparison theorysays that you evaluate your ideas by comparing them with what other people believe.
You are also more likely to seek out other people who share your beliefs and values.
William James
Psychologist and philosopherWilliam Jamesis often referred to as the father of American psychology.
His teachings and writings helped establish psychology as a science.
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned reflexes andclassical conditioninginfluenced the rise of behaviorism in psychology.
Pairing a neutral stimulus with it will eventually lead to that stimulus also triggering the same response via association.
Pavlov’s experimental methods helped move psychology away from introspection and subjective assessments to the objective measurement of behavior.
Carl Rogers
Carl Rogersemphasized human potential, which had an enormous influence on psychology and education.
He became one of the major humanist thinkers and a significant influence in therapy with hisclient-centered therapy.
Client-centered therapy is a non-directive approach to therapy in which the client guides the treatment process.
According to his theory, people progress through a series of eight life stages.
This is largely because much of his writing remained inaccessible to the Western world until quite recently.
Starting in the 1960s and through the 1990s, many of his writings were translated from Russian.
Each thinker has left their mark and helped shape how we think about the mind and behavior.
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