10 of the Most Famous Psychologists

B. F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner is one of history's most famous psychologists. He was a staunch advocate for behaviorism, which made him a dominating force in psychology so much—so that he has been described as the most eminent psychologist of the 20th century.

According to Skinner, all learning is the result of conditioning processes via reinforcement and punishment. 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 of operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement. 

Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget was the psychologist who was most influential in shaping our understanding of cognitive growth throughout childhood. His theory of cognitive development made 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 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 only a genius could have thought of it."

Sigmund Freud

When people think of famous psychologists, their minds immediately go to Sigmund Freud. While many of his theories were controversial, his work supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes.

His theories and work also introduced the idea that talking about psychological problems could help alleviate them. This introduced the idea of talk therapy, which has had a profound effect on how we view and treat mental illness.

Freud also offered evidence that cultural differences impact psychology and behavior. His work contributed to our understanding of human development, personality, clinical psychology, and abnormal psychology.

Albert Bandura

Albert Bandura's work is considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology that began in the late 1960s. Bandura's 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."

Bandura's influence is still widely felt today as researchers continue to debate the effects of observed violence, such as in movies and video games, on adolescent behavior.

Leon Festinger

Leon Festinger developed the theories of cognitive dissonance and social comparison to explain the ways in which social conditions influence human behavior.

His social comparison theory says 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 philosopher William James is often referred to as the father of American psychology. His teachings and writings helped establish psychology as a science.

Among his many accomplishments was the publication of the 1,200-page text "The Principles of Psychology," which quickly became a classic in the field.

In addition, James contributed to functionalism, pragmatism, and influenced many students of psychology during his 35-year teaching career.

Ivan Pavlov

One of the individuals who is often regarded as one of the most famous psychologists wasn't actually a psychologist at all. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned reflexes and classical conditioning influenced the rise of behaviorism in psychology.

According to Pavlov, when a stimulus is paired with an automatic, conditioned stimulus, the naturally occurring response is automatically triggered. Pairing a neutral stimulus with it will eventually lead to that stimulus also triggering the same response via association.

Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers emphasized 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 his client-centered therapy. 

His daughter, Natalie Rogers, described him as "a model for compassion and democratic ideals in his own life, and in his work as an educator, writer, and therapist."

Erik Erikson

Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development helped create interest and research on human development through the lifespan, which also help make him one of the most famous psychologists in history.

An ego psychologist who studied with Anna Freud, Erikson expanded psychoanalytic theory by exploring development throughout life, including events of childhood, adulthood, and old age.

Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky was a contemporary of some more famous psychologists including Piaget, Freud, Skinner, and Pavlov, yet his work never achieved the same eminence during his lifetime. 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. As a result, his work has become enormously influential in recent decades, particularly in the fields of educational psychology and child development.

While his premature death at age 38 put a halt to his work, he went on to become one of the most frequently cited psychologists of the 20th century.