Psychology's Grand Theorists: How Personal Experiences Shaped Professional Ideas

Psychology's Grand Theoristsargues that the three schools in psychology that have been dominant historically--the psychodynamic, behavioral, and phenomenological--have resulted in large part from the personal experiences of their originators. Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, and Carl Rogers each believed that he had discovered the truth about human nature, yet their truths are entirely different. This book explores how the lives of these men influenced the divergent theories they developed, through a close examination of letters, diaries, biographies, autobiographies, and professional writings. Uncovering the subjective sources of these theories, the book gives the reader a greater sense of intimacy with each man's ideas, and promotes critical inquiry into their scientific status. The book is written in an engaging style that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Intended as a supplement in courses on personality, clinical psychology, and/or the history of psychology, it will also be of interestto clinicians or counselors who use one or more of these theoretical models in their therapeutic work.

Dr. Amy Demorest is a professor of psychology at Amherst College. She earned her Ph.D. at Duke University, and has held research positions at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, Demorest has held a teaching positions at Duke University and Swarthmore College. She specializes in the study of personality theory and assessment.