White, R. W. (2020). The Contributions of Robert W. White to Psychology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000179
Robert W. White (1903-1997) was a pioneering American psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of psychology. He is best known for his work on the concept of ego identity and for his development of the concept of goal-directed behavior. White’s work had a major impact on the fields of developmental psychology, personality psychology, and social psychology.
White was born in 1903 in Massachusetts and attended Harvard University, where he obtained his PhD in psychology in 1931. After completing his degree, White worked for the Harvard Psychological Clinic and then joined the faculty at Harvard in 1935. It was during this time that White conducted some of his most influential work on ego identity. He defined ego identity as the “central core of the personality, the sense of self that is formed through the integration of various aspects of the self, such as beliefs, values, and roles”. White believed that one’s ego identity is shaped by both external and internal factors, and that it can serve as a source of stability in life.
White’s work on ego identity laid the groundwork for his later work on goal-directed behavior. He proposed that behavior is goal-oriented and that humans are driven by the need for mastery and self-actualization. He also developed the concept of planned action, which states that behavior is shaped by one’s goals and that goals are formed by one’s values, beliefs, and expectations. In addition, White proposed that behavior is guided by a set of cognitive processes, such as problem solving, decision making, and goal setting.
White’s work had a profound impact on the fields of psychology. His theories of ego identity and goal-directed behavior were adopted by other psychologists and are still widely used today. His work on ego identity provided an important foundation for the study of personality and social psychology, while his work on goal-directed behavior has been used to explain the motivations behind behavior.
White was a highly influential figure in the field of psychology and his work is still impacting the field today. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association in 1966. His contributions to the field of psychology will continue to be appreciated for years to come.