How might a psychologist choose the 20th-century leaders in his or her field? Multivariate analysis, of course. The Review of General Psychologywill soon publish a ranked list, from the top three, Skinner, Piaget and Freud, through number 99, Anna Freud.
Steven Haggbloom, Ph.D., of Western Kentucky University says that he undertook the project in an attempt to "operationalize" eminence. Haggbloom considered six variables, including citations in journals and introductory psychology textbooks, American Psychological Association honors and surname as eponym (i.e., "Bandura's social learning theory").
There followed complex calculations and a couple of hitches: The American Psychological Society's rate of response to the survey was a "disappointing and inexplicably low" 5.6 percent. Respondents even inserted negative asides: "People who put Freud at the top made editorial comments like 'unfortunately,'" explains Haggbloom.
