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These pictures include some of the mostfamous psychologistsas well as other great thinkers who made important contributions to psychology.
1Alfred AdlerHulton Archive / Stringer / Getty ImagesAlfred Adlerwas an Austrian doctor and originally a colleague of the famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Adler was eventually booted out of Freud’s inner circle, but he went on to found his own set of theories known as Individual Psychology. He is perhaps best known for his concept of the inferiority complex.
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Alfred AdlerHulton Archive / Stringer / Getty ImagesAlfred Adlerwas an Austrian doctor and originally a colleague of the famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Adler was eventually booted out of Freud’s inner circle, but he went on to found his own set of theories known as Individual Psychology. He is perhaps best known for his concept of the inferiority complex.
Alfred Adler
Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty Images
Alfred Adlerwas an Austrian doctor and originally a colleague of the famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Adler was eventually booted out of Freud’s inner circle, but he went on to found his own set of theories known as Individual Psychology. He is perhaps best known for his concept of the inferiority complex.
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Alfred Binet
Materialscientist / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
3Erik EriksonCorbis via Getty Images / Getty ImagesErik Eriksondeveloped an eight-stage theory of human development that looked at how people change and grow over the course of the entire lifespan. Erikson is also famous for his concept of the identity crisis.
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Erik EriksonCorbis via Getty Images / Getty ImagesErik Eriksondeveloped an eight-stage theory of human development that looked at how people change and grow over the course of the entire lifespan. Erikson is also famous for his concept of the identity crisis.
Erik Erikson
Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images
Erik Eriksondeveloped an eight-stage theory of human development that looked at how people change and grow over the course of the entire lifespan. Erikson is also famous for his concept of the identity crisis.
4Sigmund FreudHans Casparius / Getty ImagesSigmund Freudmay be one of the best-known figures in history, but he is also one of the most controversial. He was the founder of the school of psychology known as psychoanalysis.He is also known for his concept of the unconscious mind as well as his stage theory of psychosexual development.
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Sigmund FreudHans Casparius / Getty ImagesSigmund Freudmay be one of the best-known figures in history, but he is also one of the most controversial. He was the founder of the school of psychology known as psychoanalysis.He is also known for his concept of the unconscious mind as well as his stage theory of psychosexual development.
Sigmund Freud
Hans Casparius / Getty Images
Sigmund Freudmay be one of the best-known figures in history, but he is also one of the most controversial. He was the founder of the school of psychology known as psychoanalysis.He is also known for his concept of the unconscious mind as well as his stage theory of psychosexual development.
5G. Stanley HallTryphon / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainG. Stanley Hallfounded the first American psychology lab at John Hopkins University and also became the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892.
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G. Stanley HallTryphon / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainG. Stanley Hallfounded the first American psychology lab at John Hopkins University and also became the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892.
G. Stanley Hall
Tryphon / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
G. Stanley Hallfounded the first American psychology lab at John Hopkins University and also became the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892.
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Karen Horney
Bettmann / Getty Images
Contributions of Karen Horney to Psychology
7William JamesMaterialscientist / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainWilliam Jamesis known as one of the founders of American psychology and author of the classic textbookThe Principles of Psychology.
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William JamesMaterialscientist / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainWilliam Jamesis known as one of the founders of American psychology and author of the classic textbookThe Principles of Psychology.
William James
William Jamesis known as one of the founders of American psychology and author of the classic textbookThe Principles of Psychology.
8Carl JungImagno / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesCarl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist remembered for his concept of the collective unconscious andfour major archetypes.While he was originally a protege of Freud’s, he eventually split from his mentor to pursue his own theories, which he referred to as analytical psychology.
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Carl JungImagno / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesCarl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist remembered for his concept of the collective unconscious andfour major archetypes.While he was originally a protege of Freud’s, he eventually split from his mentor to pursue his own theories, which he referred to as analytical psychology.
Carl Jung
Imagno / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist remembered for his concept of the collective unconscious andfour major archetypes.While he was originally a protege of Freud’s, he eventually split from his mentor to pursue his own theories, which he referred to as analytical psychology.
9Abraham MaslowBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesAbraham Maslowwas an American psychologist who is frequently referred to as the founder ofhumanistic psychology.He is perhaps best known for his famoushierarchy of needsand his emphasis on the concept of self-actualization.
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Abraham MaslowBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesAbraham Maslowwas an American psychologist who is frequently referred to as the founder ofhumanistic psychology.He is perhaps best known for his famoushierarchy of needsand his emphasis on the concept of self-actualization.
Abraham Maslow
Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
Abraham Maslowwas an American psychologist who is frequently referred to as the founder ofhumanistic psychology.He is perhaps best known for his famoushierarchy of needsand his emphasis on the concept of self-actualization.
10Hugo MunsterbergVindicator, Rickert / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainHugo Munsterbergwas a pioneer in the field of applied psychology, particularly in the areas of industrial-organizational and forensic psychology.
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Hugo MunsterbergVindicator, Rickert / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainHugo Munsterbergwas a pioneer in the field of applied psychology, particularly in the areas of industrial-organizational and forensic psychology.
Hugo Munsterberg
Vindicator, Rickert / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Hugo Munsterbergwas a pioneer in the field of applied psychology, particularly in the areas of industrial-organizational and forensic psychology.
11Ivan PavlovNational Library of Medicine / Public DomainIvan Pavlovwas a Russian physiologist, but he became forever entwined with the field of psychology thanks to his discovery of theclassical conditioningprocess. Pavlov’s work had a major influence on other thinkers, including John B. Watson, and played an important role in the development of behaviorism.
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Ivan PavlovNational Library of Medicine / Public DomainIvan Pavlovwas a Russian physiologist, but he became forever entwined with the field of psychology thanks to his discovery of theclassical conditioningprocess. Pavlov’s work had a major influence on other thinkers, including John B. Watson, and played an important role in the development of behaviorism.
Ivan Pavlov
National Library of Medicine / Public Domain
Ivan Pavlovwas a Russian physiologist, but he became forever entwined with the field of psychology thanks to his discovery of theclassical conditioningprocess. Pavlov’s work had a major influence on other thinkers, including John B. Watson, and played an important role in the development of behaviorism.
12Jean PiagetKeystone / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesJean Piagetwas a Swiss psychologist who is best-remembered for his famous stage theory of cognitive development.
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Jean PiagetKeystone / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesJean Piagetwas a Swiss psychologist who is best-remembered for his famous stage theory of cognitive development.
Jean Piaget
Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Jean Piagetwas a Swiss psychologist who is best-remembered for his famous stage theory of cognitive development.
13Carl RogersBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesCarl Rogerswas a humanistic psychologist who created an influential approach to psychotherapy known as client-centered therapy. In one ranking of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Rogers was ranked at number six.
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Carl RogersBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesCarl Rogerswas a humanistic psychologist who created an influential approach to psychotherapy known as client-centered therapy. In one ranking of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Rogers was ranked at number six.
Carl Rogers
Carl Rogerswas a humanistic psychologist who created an influential approach to psychotherapy known as client-centered therapy. In one ranking of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Rogers was ranked at number six.
14B. F. SkinnerNew York Times Co. / Getty ImagesB. F. Skinner’sresearch on operant conditioning (also known as instrumental conditioning) made him one of the leaders of behaviorism, but his theories and research also made him a target for controversy.
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B. F. SkinnerNew York Times Co. / Getty ImagesB. F. Skinner’sresearch on operant conditioning (also known as instrumental conditioning) made him one of the leaders of behaviorism, but his theories and research also made him a target for controversy.
B. F. Skinner
New York Times Co. / Getty Images
B. F. Skinner’sresearch on operant conditioning (also known as instrumental conditioning) made him one of the leaders of behaviorism, but his theories and research also made him a target for controversy.
15Wilhelm WundtBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesWilhelm Wundtis best-known for establishing the very first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. He is often credited with founding the structuralist school of thought, although it was actually his student Edward Titchener who did so.
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Wilhelm WundtBettmann Archive / Getty ImagesWilhelm Wundtis best-known for establishing the very first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. He is often credited with founding the structuralist school of thought, although it was actually his student Edward Titchener who did so.
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundtis best-known for establishing the very first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. He is often credited with founding the structuralist school of thought, although it was actually his student Edward Titchener who did so.
13 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Michell J.Alfred Binet and the concept of heterogeneous orders.Front Psychol. 2012;(3):261. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00261
Schlein S.The Clinical Erik Erikson: A Psychoanalytic Method of Engagement and Activation. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge; 2016.
De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: a conceptual analysis.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;(9)1:210-7. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437
American Psychological Association.Former APA presidents.
Aldridge J, Kilgo JL, Jepkemboi G.Four hidden matriarchs of psychoanalysis: the relationship of Lou von Salome, Karen Horney, Sabina Spielrein and Anna Freud to Sigmund Freud.Int J Psychol Couns. 2014;6(4):32-39. doi:10.5897/IJPC2014.0250
Goodman R.William James.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Rowan J.Directions for humanistic psychology.Self Soc. 2013;40(3):40-41. doi:10.1080/03060497.2013.11084282
Harvard University Department of Psychology.Hugo Munsterberg. 2021.
Marwaha S, Goswami M, Vashist B.Prevalence of principles of Piaget’s theory among 4-7-year-old children and their correlation with IQ.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;(11)8:ZC111-ZC115. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/28435.10513
Haggbloom SJ, Warnick R, Warnick JE, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Rev Gen Psychol. 2002;(6)2:139-152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139
Zilio D.On the autonomy of psychology from neuroscience: a case study of Skinner’s radical behaviorism and behavior analysis.Rev Gen Psychol. 2016;20(2):155-170. doi:10.1037/gpr0000067
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