William Schutz
William Schutz (December 19, 1925 – November 9, 2002) was an American psychologist.[1][2]
Biography
Schutz was born in Chicago, Illinois.[1] He practiced at the Esalen Institute in the 1960s. He later became the president of BConWSA International. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA. In the 1950s, he was part of the peer-group at the University of Chicago's Counseling Center that included Carl Rogers, Thomas Gordon, Abraham Maslow and Elias Porter. He taught at Tufts University, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and was chairman of the holistic studies department at Antioch University until 1983.
In 1958, Schutz introduced a theory of interpersonal relations he called
Schutz also created FIRO-B, a measurement instrument with scales that assess the behavioral aspects of the three dimensions. His advancement of FIRO Theory beyond the FIRO-B tool was most obvious in the change of the "Affection" scale to the "Openness" scale in the "FIRO Element-B". This change highlighted his newer theory that behavior comes from feelings ("FIRO Element-F") and the self-concept ("FIRO Element-S"). "Underlying the behavior of openness is the feeling of being likable or unlikeable, lovable or unlovable. I find you likable if I like myself in your presence, if you create an atmosphere within which I like myself."
W. Schutz authored more than ten books and many articles. His work was influenced by
In his books one encounters the concept of energy cycles (e.g. Schutz 1979) which a person goes through or call for completion. The single steps of the energy cycles are: motivation – prepare – act – feel.
Schutz died at his home in Muir Beach, California in 2002.[1]
Influences
While teaching and doing research at Harvard, the University of Chicago, the University of California at Berkeley, and other institutions, Schutz focused on psychology but also studied philosophy—in particular, the scientific method, the philosophy of science, logical empiricism, and research design (with both Hans Reichenbach and Abraham Kaplan). He also worked with Paul Lazarsfeld, the well-known sociologist and methodologist and Elvin Semrad, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and clinical director in charge of psychiatric residency training at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. For Schutz, Semrad was a key figure, "a brilliant, earthy psychoanalyst who became my main mentor about groups."
An avid student, Schutz also learned
Writings
- FIRO: A Three-Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behavior. New York, NY: Rinehart (1958)
- Joy. Expanding Human Awareness (1967)
- Here comes Everybody Harper & Row (1971)
- Elements of Encounter (1973)
- Body Fantasy (1976)
- Leaders of Schools (1977)
- Profound Simplicity. New York, NY: Bantam (1979)
- The Truth Option. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press (1984)
- Joy: Twenty Years Later. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press (1989)
- "Beyond FIRO-B—Three New Theory Derived Measures—Element B: Behavior, Element F: Feelings, Element S: Self." Psychological Reports, June, 70, 915-937 (1992)
- The Human Element: Productivity, Self-Esteem and the Bottom Line. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass (1994)
Notes
- ^ a b c Ancestry.com: Social Security Death Index Accessed June 19, 2009
- ^ Los Angeles Times Obituary Accessed June 19, 2009