The publication of research by Hans Eysenck in 1971 regarding race and intelligence triggered widespread public protests, including a physical assault at the London School of Economics. Born in 1916 in Berlin, he eventually established himself as a dominant, albeit polarizing, force within British psychological science, producing a body of work that encompassed roughly 1,600 journal articles.
Academic Foundation and Career
Eysenck moved to England in the 1930s, fueled by his opposition to the Nazi party and its persecutions. He earned his PhD in 1940 from University College London, supervised by Cyril Burt. From 1955 until 1983, he served as Professor of Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. During this tenure, he specialized in personality structure and the empirical study of mental health treatments, eventually receiving the William James Fellow Award in 1994.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Theoretical Contributions
He developed a dimensional model of personality, attempting to anchor psychological traits in biogenetic variation. His work extended into political psychology, where he proposed that political behavior could be categorized by a left-right axis alongside a tender-minded versus tough-minded dimension. He also served as the founding editor of the journal Personality and Individual Differences and was a prolific author of roughly 80 books, including his autobiography, Rebel with a Cause.
Retrospective Critique and Integrity Issues
Following his 1997 death, the scientific community subjected Eysenck's output to rigorous scrutiny. An enquiry conducted by King's College London identified multiple co-authored papers, particularly those with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek, as incompatible with modern clinical standards. Consequently, scientific journals retracted 14 papers in 2020, while over 60 statements of concern were issued regarding the validity of his data and methodologies in various studies.
Fast facts
- Born: 1916, Berlin, Germany
- Died: 1997, London, United Kingdom
- Education: University of London, University College London
- Primary Employer: King's College London
- Academic Degree: PhD, Doctor of Science
- 1994 Award: William James Fellow Award
- Publications: Approximately 80 books and 1,600 journal articles
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Hans Eysenck study?
He focused primarily on personality theory, intelligence, and the psychological impact of genetics, though his career included work on political psychology and media effects.
Why has Eysenck's research faced recent scrutiny?
Independent enquiries found his data, particularly in collaboration with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek, to be unreliable, leading to the retraction of 14 papers in 2020.
Achievements
- Held posts at King's College London
- Educated at University College London and University of London
- Fields of research: psychology
.jpg)