Hans Eysenck Biography

Updated On : November 21, 2022Hans Eysenck was a German born prominent psychologist who professionally practiced in Great Britain and is considered one of the foremost figures in postwar British psychology. A brilliant and outspoken individual, he often courted controversies with his arguments that attacked several beliefs, deeply held by the scientific fraternity. He was an extremely vocal critic of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and believed that psychotherapy offered no effectiveness in the treatment of mental illnesses. He was highly criticized and even threatened when he made public his research on the role of genetics in determining the IQ of human beings. Born into a family of stage and film entertainers, it was believed that the young Hans would follow in his parents’ footsteps. But he did not and instead carved a place for himself as one of the most famous psychologists of the 20th century. He was one of the most frequently cited psychologists and was regarded as a prolific popularizer of psychology. He left Germany in opposition of the Nazi regime and made U.K. his home. He completed his education in London and was mentored by the eminent psychologist Cyril Burt who was known for his research on the heritability of IQ—a work which his protege furthered. Eysenck was also a prolific writer who had more than 75 books and 1600 journal articles to his credit.