Beatrice Ann Wright

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Beatrice Ann Wright (born December 16, 1917 in Richmond , New York - † July 31, 2018 ) was an American gestalt psychologist , best known for her research in the field of rehabilitation psychology . Her main work, Physical disability - a psychological approach (1960) and Physical disability - a psychosocial approach (extended second edition, 1983), was included in the list of the most influential psychological works of the 20th century by the American Psychological Association .

life and work

Wright was born under her original family name Posner to a Russian immigrant family in Richmond, New York. She completed her bachelor's degree at Brooklyn College , where her teachers included Abraham Maslow and Solomon Asch . She then continued her psychology studies at the University of Iowa , where, after completing her master's degree , she did her doctorate with Kurt Lewin ( Fairness and generosity: an experiment in the development of ideology ). Wright is one of only two American psychologists who did her doctorate with Kurt Lewin (the second is Mary Martha Gordon Thompson). She also belonged to the so-called topology group around Kurt Lewin.

During her studies she also married M. Erik Wright, who later became known as a hypnotherapist . After graduation, Wright first taught psychology at Swarthmore College . She then followed her husband to California, where she accepted a position with the United States Employment Service in San Francisco. There she came into contact with the problems of disabled people in finding a job. In a more general sense, namely that of rehabilitation psychology, Wright made this subject her life's work. She connected this with another Lewin student, Tamara Dembo , who had already supervised her dissertation together with Kurt Lewin and how she became a pioneer in this discipline.

In 1963 - after returning from a stay in Australia with her husband - Wright was appointed to the University of Kansas , where she now fully concentrated on the development and establishment of rehabilitation psychology. Her research contributed significantly to relevant laws in the United States, the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). In 2009 the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues presented her with the Kurt Lewin Award . Other tributes include the Distinguished Alumna Award of the University of Iowa and the Irvin Youngberg Award for Achievement in Applied Science with a.

Selected publications by BA Wright

  • Altruism in Children and the Perceived Conduct of Others. In: The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. Volume 37, No. 2, 1942, pp. 218-233.
  • with RG Barker, L. Meyerson and MR Gonick: Adjustment to physical handicap and illness: A survey of the social psychology of physique and disability. Social Science Research Council, Bulletin # 55, 1946.
  • with RK White and Tamara Dembo: Studies in adjustment to visible injuries: Evaluation of curiosity by the injured. In: Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. Volume 43, 1948, pp. 13-28.
  • with Tamara Dembo and G. Leviton: Adjustment to misfortune: A problem of social psychological rehabilitation. In: Artificial Limbs. Volume 3, 1956, pp. 4-62.
  • Editor of: Psychology and rehabilitation. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC 1959 (Reprinted by Ayer Co., Salem, New Hampshire 1980).
  • Physical disability. A psychological approach. Harper & Brothers, New York 1960.
  • Physical disability. A psychosocial approach. Harper Collins, New York 1983, ISBN 0-06-047241-3
  • Devaluation in chronic illness. In: M. Harrower (Ed.): Medical and psychological teamwork in the care of the chronically ill. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois 1955, pp. 43-46.
  • Guidelines for the future in rehabilitation. In: Psychological Aspects of Disability. Volume 16, 1969, pp. 105-108.
  • What is wrong with the concept of independence? What will make it right? In: Pediatric Social Work. Volume 2, 1982, pp. 99-103.
  • Human dignity and professional self-monitoring. In: Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. Volume 18, No. 4, 1987, pp. 12-14.
  • Kurt Lewin: A student remembers sixty-five years ago. In: J. Trempata, A. Pepitone and BH Raven (Eds.): Lewinian Psychology. Proceedings of the international conference "Kurt Lewin: Contribution to Contemporary Psychology". K. Wielki University Press, Bydgoszcz 2006, pp. 298-301.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary , accessed September 28, 2018
  2. ↑ Meghan George: Profile of Beatrice Ann Wright , 2011, accessed October 9, 2013; SL Wurl: Beatrice A. Wright: A life history. Doctoral dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 2008, see web links.
  3. ↑ This dissertation is based on the 1942 article Altruism in Children and the Perceived Conduct of Others .
  4. ^ SL Wurl: Beatrice A. Wright: A life history. 2008, p. 79.
personal data
SURNAME Wright, Beatrice Ann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wright, Beatrice Anne; Posner, Beatrice Ann (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American gestalt psychologist
DATE OF BIRTH December 16, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Richmond , New York
DATE OF DEATH July 31, 2018