author
William McDougall
1871–1938
A pioneering psychologist who helped shape early thinking about instinct, motivation, and social behavior, he taught in Britain and the United States and wrote books that reached a wide audience. His career also took some unusual turns, including a serious interest in psychical research.
2 Audiobooks
The Group Mind: A Sketch of the Principles of Collective Psychology With Some Attempt to Apply Them to the Interpretation of National Life and Character
by William McDougall
The Pagan Tribes of Borneo A Description of Their Physical Moral and Intellectual Condition, with Some Discussion of Their Ethnic Relations
by Charles Hose, William McDougall
About the author
Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, on June 22, 1871, William McDougall became one of the better-known psychologists of the early 20th century. He held posts at University College London, Oxford, Harvard, and Duke, and his writing played a notable part in the growth of social psychology in the English-speaking world.
He is especially remembered for arguing that human behavior is driven in part by innate instincts and purposive striving. His book An Introduction to Social Psychology was widely influential, and reference works also note his role in experimental and physiological psychology.
McDougall died in Durham, North Carolina, on November 28, 1938. Alongside his mainstream academic work, he was also known for his interest in psychical research, which makes him a particularly distinctive figure in the history of psychology.