Topics
For you scholarly paper and presentation, please choose from the theorists below. I have provided a small amount of information on each person to help you decide on who you'd like to sign up for. Please sign up on Scholar 360 in the course community.
Alfred Adler
* Alder is often placed between 2nd and 3rd forces in psychology, but his influence as been fairly broad across the different orientations.
Gordon Allport
* Allport also eludes easy classification, as he did not like either the psychoanalytic or behavioral approaches, but does not fit within humanistic either. He focused more on a trait theory and empirical approach.
Albert Bandura
* Bandura is known for social learning theory which is generally most closely identified with behavioral and social psychology theories.
Eric Berne
* He is the founder of transactional analysis, which is often considered an offshoot of psychodynamic theory.
Ludwig Binswanger
* Binswanger was an early existential theorist.
Raymond Cattell
* Cattell developed an empirical approach to personality.
Nancy Chodorow
* Chodorow integrates feminist and psychoanalytic concepts in her approach to personality.
Erik Erikson
* Erikson falls within the psychoanalytic school with emphasis on developmental issues.
Erich Fromm
* Fromm is generally considered neo-Freudian or psychoanalytic, although he has also been influential on some of existential thought.
Carol Gilligan
* Gilligan falls within the psychodynamic theories focusing on developmental and feminist issues.
Karen Horney
* Horney is a Neo-Freudian theorist who wrote the first book on a feminine approach to psychology and psychodynamic theory.
Carl Jung
* Jung broke off from Freud with his own dynamic theory.
George Kelly
* Kelly primarily fits with a cognitive-behavioral approach, although he has been influential in other domains, too.
Otto Kernberg
* Kernberg falls within the psychodynamic theories, and particularly Object Relations theories. His primary interest was working with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Melanie Klein
* Klein is a psychodynamic theorist that is considered one of the founders of Object Relations Theory.
Heinz Kohut
* Kohut is a psychodynamic theorist who developed Self Psychology, a specific psychodynamic approach to therapy. A primary interest of his was narcissism.
Abraham Maslow
* Maslow is most closely associated with Humanistic Psychology, although he is considered the father of both Humanistic and Transpersonal psychology.
Rollo May
* Rollo May is considered the father of American Existential Psychology.
Stephen Mitchell
* Mitchell is a psychodynamic theorist who is considered the father of contemporary or relational psychoanalysis.
Henry Murray
* Murray's approach to personality theory is one of the empirical or research perspectives.
Otto Rank
* Rank fits best with psychoanalytic thought and was an early person who diverted from Freud. He was also influential on Existential psychology and referred to his approach as Will Therapy.
Carl Rogers
* Rogers was an influential Humanistic Psychologist who developed Person-Centered Psychotherapy (also called Client-Centered).
B.F. Skinner
* Skinner was one of the most influential behavioral theorists.
Harry Stack Sullivan
* Sullivan is a neo-Freudian who fits under the realm of psychodynamic thought. He developed Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
D.W. Winnicott
* Winnicott was an influential psychodynamic theorist most well know for his work on transitional objects.