Approximate reading time: 6 minutes

Inclusion Criteria for this Page

1. Innovative Contribution: This refers to whether the individual has introduced new theories, models, or practices that significantly changed existing understanding or practices in psychology. For example, Cindy Blackstock’s advocacy and work in child welfare have brought significant changes in policies and practices, especially concerning Indigenous children in Canada.
2. Influence on the Field: This looks at how their work has influenced peers, subsequent research, and the broader field. Gregory Cajete, for instance, has been influential in integrating Indigenous perspectives into educational psychology, which has reshaped some of the approaches in this field.
3. Impact Beyond Academia: Consideration of how their work has affected policy, practice, and public understanding. Michael Yellow Bird’s contributions to social work and psychology, particularly in decolonizing practices, have had a significant impact not just in academia but also in practical applications and community engagements.
4. Recognition and Awards: Formal recognition in the form of awards, positions in prestigious institutions, or influential publications. Vine Deloria Jr., while more known for his work in Native American studies than psychology per se, has been influential in how psychological concepts are understood and applied in Indigenous contexts.
5. Longevity and Enduring Relevance: How their work has stood the test of time and continues to be relevant and cited in contemporary research and practice.
6. Cross-Disciplinary Impact: The extent to which their work has influenced or been integrated into other disciplines.
7. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: First notable minoritized BIPOC person or woman to enter their field.

The Foundations of Modern Psychology (Late 19th Century)

• Margaret Floy Washburn (1871–1939): Authored “The Animal Mind,” a seminal text in comparative psychology.
• Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930): Memory research and self-psychology; developed theories combining structuralism and functionalism.
• Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920): Established the first psychology lab; father of experimental psychology.
• Edward Titchener (1867–1927)
• Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): Developed psychoanalysis; explored the unconscious mind.
• William James (1842–1910): Pioneered the field of American psychology and
  emphasized the importance of functionalism and consciousness.

The Emergence of Different Schools of Thought (Early 20th Century)

• Carl Jung (1875–1961): Founded analytical psychology; concepts of collective unconscious and archetypes.
• Mary Cover Jones (1896–1987): Desensitizing fears, and countering the conditioned fear.
• Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936): Classical conditioning; showed learned responses in dogs.
• Melanie Klein (1882–1960): Advanced psychoanalysis; pioneered play therapy.
• John B. Watson (1878–1958): Prominent figure in behaviourism; famous for the Little Albert experiment.
• Kurt Lewin (1890–1947): Founder of social psychology; theories on group dynamics.
• Gordon Allport (1897–1967): Studied personality traits; nature of prejudice.
• B.F. Skinner (1904–1990): Leading figure in behaviourism; operant conditioning.

The Cognitive Revolution (Mid 20th Century)

• Jean Piaget (1896–1980): Theory of cognitive development; how children think.
• Lev Vygotsky (1896–1937): Sociocultural Theory of Development; role of social interaction.
• Erik Erikson (1902–1994): Eight-stage theory of psychosocial development.
• Noam Chomsky (1928–present): Generative grammar; influenced psycholinguistics.
• Albert Bandura (1925–2021): Social Learning Theory; concept of self-efficacy.
  Harry Harlow (1905–1981): Research on attachment using rhesus monkeys.
• Lawrence Kohlberg (1927–1987): Stage theory of moral development.

Neuroscience and Neuropsychology

• Brenda Milner (1918–present): Work in neuropsychology, particularly on memory systems.
• Donald O. Hebb (1904–1985): Theory of synaptic plasticity and neural networks.
• Ursula Bellugi (1931–present): Neuropsychology and Language Development; research in sign language.

Feminist and Gender Studies in Psychology

• Sandra Bem (1944–2014): Gender Studies; developed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory.
• Judith Butler (1956–present): Gender Studies and Queer Theory; work on gender performativity.
• Carol Gilligan (1936–present): Gender Differences in Moral Development; emphasis on gender differences.
• Kimberlé Crenshaw (1959-present): Critical Race Theory and Feminist Legal Theory; introduced the concept of intersectionality.
• bell hooks (1952–2021): Social and Feminist Theory; examination of systems of power and oppression.

Race Theory and Racial Identity Development

• Claude Steele (1946–present): Social Psychology; research on stereotype threat.
• William Cross (1945–present): Racial Identity Development; Nigrescence Model.
• Beverly Daniel Tatum (1954–present): Race Relations and Educational Psychology; explored racial identity development and the psychology of racism.
• Joseph White (1932–2017): African American Psychology; focus on challenges faced by African Americans.
• Frantz Fanon (1925–1961): Post-Colonial Theory; psychological impacts of racism and oppression.
• Martha Bernal (1931–2001): Studied Mexican American children; educational and cultural psychology.
• Inez Beverly Prosser (1895–1934): Educational experiences and mental health of African American students.

Gestalt Psychology

• Max Wertheimer (1880–1943): Pioneer developer of Gestalt psychology; focus on perception as a whole.
• Kurt Koffka (1886–1941): Gestalt psychology; emphasis on holistic processing.
• Wolfgang Köhler (1887–1967): Gestalt psychology; research on insight and perception.

Humanistic Psychology

• Abraham Maslow (1908–1970): Hierarchy of needs and self-actualization; human motivation.
• Carl Rogers (1902–1987): Developed client-centered therapy; emphasized human potential.

Indigenous Psychology and Methodologies

• Gregory Cajete (1950s–present): Indigenous Education and Psychology; focus on Native science and Indigenous education.
• Linda Tuhiwai Smith (1950–present): Indigenous Methodologies; decolonizing methodologies in Indigenous psychology.
• Vine Deloria Jr. (1933–2005): Native American Studies and Psychology; influence on Indigenous spirituality.
  Michael Yellow Bird (1950s–present): Social Work and Indigenous Psychology; contributions to social work and Indigenous psychology.
• Eduardo Duran (1950s–present): Clinical Psychology and Indigenous Healing; integrating traditional healing practices with Western psychology.
• Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart (1950s–present): Historical Trauma and Indigenous Psychology; addressing the impact of historical trauma on Native American populations.
• Cindy Blackstock (1960s–present): Child Welfare and Indigenous Rights; advocacy in child welfare, especially for Indigenous children.

The Rise of Applied Psychology (Late 20th Century)

• Martin Seligman (1942–present): Founded positive psychology; studied learned helplessness.
• Carol Dweck (1946–present): Researched fixed vs. growth mindsets.
• Mamoru Iwata (1943–present): Behavioural Analysis and Developmental Disabilities; research on self-injurious behaviour.
• Hans Eysenck (1916–1997): Personality and Intelligence; contributions to psychometrics.
• Raymond Cattell (1905–1998): Personality and Psychometrics; development of the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire.

Pioneers in Applied Psychological Research

• Philip Zimbardo (1933–present): Social Psychology; Stanford prison experiment.
• Elizabeth Loftus (1944–present): Memory and Cognitive Psychology; research on memory malleability and the misinformation effect.
• Marsha Linehan (1943–present): Clinical Psychology; developed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy