Where Are All the Women in Psychology History?
While studying the early history of psychology, you might find yourself wondering if all the early psychologists were men. The dominance of male thinkers on lists of important pioneers in early psychology certainly makes it seem that way, but the reality is that women have been contributing to psychology since its earliest days. Estimates suggest that in the early 1900s, roughly 12% of psychologists in the United States were women. However, many of these pioneering women in psychology faced considerable discrimination, obstacles, and difficulties. Many were not allowed to study with men, were denied degrees they had rightfully earned, or found it difficult to secure academic positions that would allow them to research and publish. These women deserve to be recognized for their pioneering work. The following are just a few of the women who helped shape psychology. Anna Freud not only expanded upon her father’s ideas, but she also helped develop the field of child psychotherapy and influenced other thinkers such as Erik Erikson. Among her many accomplishments are introducing the concept of defense mechanisms and expanding interest in the field of child psychology. Regardless, Calkins went on to become the first female president of the American Psychological Association. During her career, she wrote over a hundred professional papers on psychology topics, developed the paired-association technique, and became known for her work in the area of self-psychology. While Harvard may have refused to grant her the degree she rightfully earned, that didn’t stop Calkins from becoming an influential psychologist. In her research on mother-child attachments and interactions, Ainsworth would have a mother and a child sit in an unfamiliar room. Researchers would then observe the child’s reactions to various situations including a stranger entering the room, being left alone with the stranger, and the mother’s return to the room. Ainsworth’s groundbreaking work had a major influence on our understanding of attachment styles and how these styles contribute to behavior later in life. Another of her important contributions was her research on the psychology of women. The prevailing opinion at the time was that women were both intellectually inferior to men and essentially semi-invalid when they were menstruating. Hollingworth challenged these assumptions, and her research demonstrated that women were as intelligent and capable as men were, no matter what time of the month it was. Her many accomplishments are perhaps even more remarkable considering the fact that she not only faced considerable obstacles due to gender discrimination, but she also died at the age of 53. Despite a life cut short, her influence and contributions to the field of psychology were impressive. Her outspoken refutation of Freud’s ideas helped draw greater attention to the psychology of women. Her theory of neurotic needs and her belief that people were capable of taking a personal role in their own mental health were among her many contributions to the field of psychology. Since young children are not capable of some of the more commonly used Freudian techniques such as free association, Klein began to utilize play therapy as a way to investigate children’s unconscious feelings, anxieties, and experiences. Klein’s work led to a major disagreement with Anna Freud, who believed that younger children could not be psychoanalyzed. Klein suggested that analyzing a child’s actions during play allowed the therapist to explore how various anxieties impact the development of the ego and the superego. Today, Kleinian psychoanalysis is considered to be one of the major schools of thought within the field of psychoanalysis. Clark became the first Black woman to earn a degree from Columbia University. Despite considerable prejudice based on both her race and her sex, Clark went on to become an influential psychologist. Her research on racial identity and self-esteem help pave the way for future research on self-concept among minorities. Ladd-Franklin had various interests including psychology, logic, mathematics, physics, and astronomy. She challenged one of the leading male psychologists of the day, Edward Titchener, for not allowing women into his group for experimentalists, and she developed an influential theory of color vision. She studied at John Hopkins and completed a dissertation titled “The Algebra of Logic”. However, the school did not permit women to receive a Ph.D. at that time. She went on to spend time in Germany studying color vision with Hermann von Helmholtz and Arthur Konig. She eventually rejected Helmholtz’s theory of color vision to develop her own. Finally, in 1926, nearly 44 years after completing her dissertation, John Hopkins awarded her the doctorate degree she had rightfully earned. Today, she is remembered for both her work in psychology and her influence as a pioneering woman in a field once dominated by men. Her primary research interests were in the areas of animal cognition and basic physiological processes. She strongly influenced comparative psychology and developed a motor theory of cognition suggesting that the body’s movements had an influence on thought. She was the first woman to chair the psychology department at Stanford University and, by her own description, the first woman to ever deliver a lecture at Stanford wearing a pantsuit. She held a position as professor emeritus at Stanford and received numerous awards for her groundbreaking work. The Maccoby Book Award is named in her honor.
