"Blazing a Trail: The History of Women in the Field of Psychology"

Student Author: Amanda Chappell     Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Ruth Riding-Malon    Forum Gender Studies Showcase  ~ 4:30 to 5:30 pm ~ Heth Lobby

"This research project describes the trials and tribulations that past and present female psychologists have faced in a once male dominated field. Although the field is not yet two hundred years old, many of its important recognized contributions have been made by male psychologists. Female psychologists have often been overlooked, yet their contributions have truly shaped the field. Over the years, females in the field of psychology have faced severe discrimination; many were not able to study alongside male students, some did not receive the degree they had earned, and many were not able to secure the academic positions that their male counterparts could easily obtain. Despite the many challenges that women in psychology have faced, some female psychologists have nevertheless become famous because of their work, including Anna Freud, Mary Whiton Calkins, Mary Ainsworth, Karen Horney, Margaret Floy Washburn, and Mamie Phipps Clark. From becoming the first female president of the American Psychological Association to designing research studies that were cited in the Brown vs. Board of Education, these well-known female psychologists have made a lasting impression in psychology. Today, in many colleges, the female student population within psychology departments has dramatically increased, but challenges for women in this scientific discipline still remain. It is important to recognize these challenges and to give credit to the women who have made the recognition of accomplishments possible for female psychologists today."1  Keywords: history, feminism, discrimination research

Amanda Chappell

1Page 2019    Annual Student Engagement Forum Gender Studies Showcase:.Pages 99-103

Center Home  Psychology   Women's and Gender Studies  College of Humanities & Behavioral Sciences   Radford University

Web page:  w. andrew    Last update May 15th, 2019