10 Influential Thinkers in Psychology

The following list provides an overview of 10 psychologists from this ranking

survey. These individuals are not only some of the best-known thinkers in
psychology, they also played an important role in psychology's history and made
important contributions to our understanding of human behavior. This list is not an
attempt to identify who was the most influential or which school of thought was
best. Instead, this list offers a glimpse of some of the theoretical outlooks that have
influenced not only psychology, but also the larger culture in which we live.
1. B. F. Skinner
Public Domain
In the 2002 study ranking the 99 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, B.F. Skinner topped the
list. Skinner's staunch behaviorismmade him a dominating force in psychology and therapy techniques
based on his theories are still used extensively today, including behavior modification and token
economies.
2. Sigmund Freud
Public Domain
When people think of psychology, many tend to think of Freud. His work supported the belief that not all
mental illnesses have physiological causes and he also offered evidence that cultural differences have an
impact on psychology and behavior. His work and writings contributed to our understanding of
personality, clinical psychology, human development, and abnormal psychology.
3. Albert Bandura
Bandura's work is considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology that
began in the late 1960s. His social learning theory stressed the importance of
observational learning, imitation, and modeling. "Learning would be exceedingly
laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of
their own actions to inform them what to do," Bandura explained in his 1977
book Social Learning Theory.
4. Jean Piaget
Roland Zumbhl
Jean Piaget's work had a profound influence on psychology, especially our understanding children's
intellectual development. His research contributed to the growth of developmental psychology, cognitive
psychology, genetic epistemology, and education reform. Albert Einstein once described Piaget's
observations on children's intellectual growth and thought processes as a discovery "so simple that only a
genius could have thought of it."
5. Carl Rogers
Public Domain
Carl Rogers placed emphasis on human potential, which had an enormous influence on both psychology
and education. He became one of the major humanist thinkers and an eponymous influence in therapy
with his "Rogerian therapy." As described by his daughter Natalie Rogers, he was "a model for
compassion and democratic ideals in his own life, and in his work as an educator, writer, and therapist."
6. William James
Public Domain
Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father of American psychology.
His 1200-page text, The Principles of Psychology, became a classic on the subject and his teachings and
writings helped establish psychology as a science. In addition, James contributed to functionalism,
pragmatism, and influenced many students of psychology during his 35-year teaching career.
7. Erik Erikson
Public Domain
Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development helped create interest and research on human
development through the lifespan. An ego psychologist who studied with Anna Freud, Erikson expanded
psychoanalytic theory by exploring development throughout the life, including events of childhood,
adulthood, and old age.










8. Ivan Pavlov
Public Domain
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned reflexes influenced the rise of
behaviorism in psychology. Pavlov's experimental methods helped move psychology away from
introspection and subjective assessments to objective measurement of behavior.
9. Kurt Lewin
Public Domain
Lewin is known as the father of modern social psychology because of his pioneering work that utilized
scientific methods and experimentation to look as social behavior. Lewin was a seminal theorist whose
enduring impact on psychology makes him one of the preeminent psychologists of the 20th-century.
10. Reader's Choice
Following the examples of Eugene Garfield's 1977 ranking list and Haggbloom's
2002 ranking, the final position on this list has been left blank in order to allow "the
reader's best case for a psychologist who should have made the list" (Haggbloom,
2002).