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Famous Psychologists

  • Ceren Çağlar
  • Nov 17
  • 3 min read

Psychology is a common social science, everyone can guess its the study of mind and its functions but have you ever wondered about psychologists? Psychologists examine behavior and brain function by their observations, surveys and interviews. 


Wilhelm Wundt was born in 1832, German psychologist. What makes him famous? He is the first person to be referred to as a psychologist. In his 88 years of living, he produced more than enough work to earn the title of “the father of psychology” and the founder of structuralism. He graduated from three different universities. His interpretation of psychology was based on the conclusion of our experience with the combination of basic parts of consciousness. To achieve the goal of approaching psychology objectively he had two main rules; using trained observers and repeatable stimuli. These methods are called introspection, meaning the examination of one's own mental and emotional process.He published his first book, “Contributions to the Theory of Sense Perception”, in 1862. Then in 1879, Wundt opened the first formal laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig which separated psychology from philosophy and helped to become an experimental science. Some estimate over 53,000 pages of writing was his, developed lots of theories, trained influential students, proposed ideas… Isn’t that enough to be called “the father”? The one who laid the foundation stone? Creator? 



Functionalism! Pragmatism! The Leader! William James (1842-1910) was an original thinker. He was first interested in art and medicine but life led him to physiology, philosophy and psychology. He blended all three in 12,000 pages. James opened a new perspective in America and Europe with these 12,000 pages called “Principles of Psychology”.  He defended  the mind as a continuous flow, not separate parts. Moreover William established the first experimental psychology demonstration laboratory. This establishment shifted Wundt’s structuralistic approach to studying real life behaviour. James stated, human experience of emotion arises from physiological changes in response to external events. he This was called functionalism. His other big step was transforming pragmatism into a global movement. He expanded Peirce’s idea and connected it to psychology, publishing his book “Pragmatism”. He used his ideas about free will, identity, self, the nature of religious experience when blending physiology, philosophy and psychology to each other. Taken together and with more of his theories, books made a huge impact on psychology despite his work in other sciences.  


Fathers are increasing: Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis was physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and influential thinker; born in 1856. He earned a medical degree, focusing more on neurology. Freud is known for his wide-ranging theories on matters driven by repressed desires and childhood experiences such as the unconscious, dreams, infantile sexuality, libido, repression, and transference. He examined childhood stages, founded psychoanalysis. Freud believed in the iceberg analogy, what we don't see under the water influences more, meaning the conscious mind is above the water and unconscious mind is the underwater part that has more impact in our behaviour. He interpreted dreams and proposed that our personality is made up with the id (unconscious), the ego (reality) and the superego (moral rules).  Freud's introduction of solving with talking shaped the way therapy is done recently. Overall, Sigmund Freud structured the understanding of unconscious and conscious mind, encouraged to apply in psychology. 


Fathers we talked. Let's come to the mother: Mary Whiton Calkins. Born in 1863, earned undergraduate degree in 1882 in classics and philosophy but she was drawn to psychology. In William James’ all male courses, even though she did her PhD Harvard refused by claiming they did not accept women which is still refused to grant the degree after her death. This setback did not stop Calkins from continuing her work. She started teaching psychology at Wellesley and founded the first psychology lab at a women’s college in America. In 1898, Calkins was chosen as the initial female president of the American Psychological Association. Her main focus was on self- psychology, advocating that the conscious self is the center rather than behaviours and unconsciousness evidenced with her own words “For with each year I live, with each book I read, with each observation I initiate or confirm, I am more deeply convinced that psychology should be conceived as the science of the self, or person, as related to its environment, physical and social” (Calkins, 1930, pp. 42-43). She wrote multiple books and addressed many audiences throughout her esteemed and lengthy career in psychology.


Why these four? 

Wundt → psychology becomes a science


James → psychology becomes practical


Freud → psychology explores the unconscious


Mary Whiton Calkins → psychology becomes inclusive


-Ceren Çağlar





References and Further Readings:



For more about Wundt:


For more about William James:


For more about Freud:


For more about: Mary Whiton Calkins

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