PSYCHOLOGISTS from Poland

Top 8

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Polish Psychologists of all time. This list of famous Polish Psychologists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Kurt Lewin (1890 - 1947)

With an HPI of 71.12, Kurt Lewin is the most famous Polish Psychologist.  His biography has been translated into 53 different languages on wikipedia.

Kurt Lewin ( lə-VEEN; 9 September 1890 – 12 February 1947) was a German-American psychologist, known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology in the United States. During his professional career, Lewin's academic research and writings focuses on applied research, action research, and group communication. Lewin is often recognized as the "founder of social psychology" and was one of the first to study group dynamics and organizational development. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Lewin as the 18th-most cited psychologist of the 20th century. During his career, he was affiliated with several U.S. and European universities, including the University of Berlin, Cornell University, MIT, Stanford University, and the University of Iowa.

2. Gustav Fechner (1801 - 1887)

With an HPI of 69.17, Gustav Fechner is the 2nd most famous Polish Psychologist.  His biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Gustav Theodor Fechner (; German: [ˈfɛçnɐ]; 19 April 1801 – 18 November 1887) was a German physicist, philosopher, and experimental psychologist. A pioneer in experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics (techniques for measuring the mind), he inspired many 20th-century scientists and philosophers. He is also credited with demonstrating the non-linear relationship between psychological sensation and the physical intensity of a stimulus via the formula: S = K ln ⁡ I {\displaystyle S=K\ln I} , which became known as the Weber–Fechner law.

3. Solomon Asch (1907 - 1996)

With an HPI of 62.95, Solomon Asch is the 3rd most famous Polish Psychologist.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Solomon Eliot Asch (September 14, 1907 – February 20, 1996) was a Polish-American Gestalt psychologist and pioneer in social psychology. He created seminal pieces of work in impression formation, prestige suggestion, conformity, and many other topics. His work follows a common theme of Gestalt psychology that the whole is not only greater than the sum of its parts, but the nature of the whole fundamentally alters the parts. Asch stated: "Most social acts have to be understood in their setting, and lose meaning if isolated. No error in thinking about social facts is more serious than the failure to see their place and function". Asch is most well known for his conformity experiments, in which he demonstrated the influence of group pressure on opinions. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Asch as the 41st most cited psychologist of the 20th century.

4. Alice Miller (1923 - 2010)

With an HPI of 62.29, Alice Miller is the 4th most famous Polish Psychologist.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Alice Miller (born Alicja Englard; 12 January 1923 – 14 April 2010) was a Polish-Swiss psychologist, psychoanalyst and philosopher of Jewish origin, who is noted for her books on parental child abuse, translated into several languages. She was also a noted public intellectual. Her book The Drama of the Gifted Child caused a sensation and became an international bestseller upon the English publication in 1981. Her views on the consequences of child abuse became highly influential. In her books she departed from psychoanalysis, charging it with being similar to the poisonous pedagogies.

5. Hugo Münsterberg (1863 - 1916)

With an HPI of 60.10, Hugo Münsterberg is the 5th most famous Polish Psychologist.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Hugo Münsterberg (; German: [ˈmʏnstɐbɛʁk]; June 1, 1863 – December 16, 1916) was a German-American psychologist. He was one of the pioneers in applied psychology, extending his research and theories to industrial/organizational (I/O), legal, medical, clinical, educational and business settings. Münsterberg experienced immense turmoil with the outbreak of the First World War. Torn between his loyalty to the United States and his homeland, he often defended Germany's actions, attracting highly contrasting reactions.

6. Helene Deutsch (1884 - 1982)

With an HPI of 55.78, Helene Deutsch is the 6th most famous Polish Psychologist.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Helene Deutsch (née Rosenbach; 9 October 1884 – 29 March 1982) was a Polish-American psychoanalyst and colleague of Sigmund Freud. She founded the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. In 1935, she immigrated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she maintained a practice. Deutsch was one of the first psychoanalysts to specialize in women. She was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

7. Kurt Goldstein (1878 - 1965)

With an HPI of 55.74, Kurt Goldstein is the 7th most famous Polish Psychologist.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Kurt Goldstein (November 6, 1878 – September 19, 1965) was a German neurologist and psychiatrist who created a holistic theory of the organism. Educated in medicine, Goldstein studied under Carl Wernicke and Ludwig Edinger where he focused on neurology and psychiatry. His clinical work helped inspire the establishment of The Institute for Research into the Consequences of Brain Injuries. Goldstein was forced to leave Germany when Hitler came to power because of his Jewish heritage. After being displaced, Goldstein wrote The Organism (1934). This focused on patients with psychological disorders, particularly cases of schizophrenia and war trauma, and the ability of their bodies to readjust to substantial losses in central control. His holistic approach to the human organism produced the principle of self actualization, defined as the driving force that maximizes and determines the path of an individual. Later, his principle influenced Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. He was the co-editor of Journal of Humanistic Psychology.

8. Abraham Brill (1874 - 1948)

With an HPI of 49.20, Abraham Brill is the 8th most famous Polish Psychologist.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Abraham Arden Brill (October 12, 1874 – March 2, 1948) was an Austrian Empire-born psychiatrist who spent almost his entire adult life in the United States. He was the first psychoanalyst to practice in the United States and the first translator of Sigmund Freud into English.