He also had a significant influence on the early development of psychology in the United States.
He grew up on a farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts.
He enrolled at Williston Academy in 1861, but later transferred to Williams College.
Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
After his graduation in 1867, he attended Union Theological Seminary.
His initial studies and work centered on theology.
Hall went on to earn a doctorate in psychology from Harvard University under psychologistWilliam Jamesand Henry P. Bowditch.
G. Stanley Hall holds the distinction of being the first American to receive a Ph.D. in psychology.
Among his many accomplishments was the creation of theAmerican Journal of Psychologyin 1887.
During his time at John Hopkins, he also established the first experimental psychology laboratory in the United States.
Hall’s approach represented a transitional period in psychological thought.
While these years were a time of great professional triumph, but the period was marked by personal tragedy.
In 1890, his wife and eight-year-old daughter both died of accidental asphyxiation.
Later, his second wife was admitted to a mental hospital after years of erratic behavior.
Hall had a wide circle of friends and professional acquaintances throughout the world but also had his critics.
He was professionally prolific, writing extensively and also founding a number of journals and associations.
In 1892, Hall was elected as the first president of the American Psychological Association.
In 1909, he famously invited a group of psychologists, includingSigmund Freud, to speak at Clark University.
The trip was Freud’s first and only visit to the United States.
Contributions to Psychology
G. Stanley Hall’s primary interests were in evolutionary psychology andchild development.
Hall was also a eugenicist, often opening expressing his racist views in writing.
He also led a number of organizations devoted to eugenics.
Hall devoted a large amount of his work tounderstanding adolescent development, particularly in the area of aggression.
He described two differenttypes of aggression, which were relational aggression and physical aggression.
This throw in of aggression involves tactics such as social exclusion and gossip.
Perhaps his greatest contribution was to the development and growth of early psychology.
Hall’s contributions helped establish psychology in the United States and paved the way for future psychologists.
He died on April 24, 1924, at the age of 80.
Select Publications
Haggbloom SJ, Warnick R, Warnick JE, et.
al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Review of General Psychology.
2002;6(2):139152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139
Arnett JJ.G.
Stanley Hall’sAdolescence: Brilliance and nonsense.Hist Psychol.
2006;9(3):186-197. doi:10.1037/1093-4510.9.3.186
Parry M.G.
Stanley Hall: Psychologist and early gerontologist.Am J Public Health.
2006;96(7):1161. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.090647
Thorndike, EL.Biographical Memoir of Granville Stanley Hall.Vol 12.
National Academy of Sciences; 1925.
