Authored by Margaret Floy Washburn, *The Animal Mind: A Textbook of Comparative Psychology* was a seminal work in its field. For over two decades after its publication, it served as the standard reference text for the study of comparative psychology.

The Animal Mind: A Textbook of Comparative Psychology

Margaret Floy Washburn (1871–1939) was a pioneering psychologist who became the first woman to earn a PhD in psychology. Her significant research contributions focused primarily on the areas of animal behavior and cognition.

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New Mexico Highlands University

Some early female contributors to psychology include:

- Margaret Floy Washburn
- Mary Whiton Calkins
- Mary Cover Jones

Women in Psychology

Notable researchers in psychology include:

- Margaret Floy Washburn
- Mary Whiton Calkins 
- Francis Sumner
- Inez Beverly Prosser
- Horatio Pinero
- Gunamudian David Boaz and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta

Notable Researchers in Psychology

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Margaret Floy Washburn

Following the election of Mary Whiton Calkins as the first female president of the American Psychological Association in 1905, the presence of women in the field expanded notably. By 1946, women accounted for almost a quarter of all psychologists in the United States, marking a significant demographic shift in the profession.

Growth of Women in American Psychology

Mary Whiton Calkins is a psychologist whose life provides an example of gender discrimination. In the late 1880s, when Harvard did not accept women, she was given special permission to attend graduate seminars there, and at one point was the sole student of the famous psychologist William James. She passed all the requirements needed for a PhD and was described by psychologist Hugo Münsterberg as “one of the strongest professors of psychology in this country.” However, Harvard refused to grant Calkins a PhD because she was a woman.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Mary Cover Jones was an influential female psychologist recognized for her pioneering work in behavior therapy. Her most famous study involved successfully unconditioning a fear of rabbits in a young boy known as Little Peter, positioning her work as a sequel to John B. Watson's research on Little Albert.

Mary Cover Jones

In India, Gunamudian David Boaz (1908–1965) and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta (1889–1944) were pioneers who established the country's first independent psychology departments. Sen Gupta founded the department at the University of Calcutta, while Boaz established the one at the University of Madras, paving the way for Indian researchers to contribute to the field.

Gunamudian David Boaz and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta

Francis Cecil Sumner (1895–1954) was the first African American to earn a PhD in psychology in the United States, receiving his degree in 1920 with a dissertation focused on issues related to psychoanalysis. A pivotal figure in the field, he was one of the founders of the psychology department at Howard University. His research interests also included racial bias and educational justice. Because of his foundational contributions and accomplishments, he is often recognized as the “Father of Black Psychology.”

Francis Cecil Sumner

Inez Beverly Prosser (1895–1934) was the first African American woman to be awarded a PhD in psychology, receiving her degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1933. Her research was pivotal, focusing on the educational outcomes for children in segregated versus integrated school systems. This work became highly influential in the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.

Inez Beverly Prosser

Horatio Piñero (1869–1919) was a key figure in the expansion of psychology into South America. He established some of the continent's first experimental psychology laboratories at two institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Horatio Piñero

A historian is studying the theme of 'overcoming institutional barriers to advance psychological science.' The work and careers of which two individuals would provide the strongest evidence for this theme?

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