Hans Eysenck
Controversial psychologist whose work on personality and IQ sparked lasting debate.
Hans Jürgen Eysenck was a German-born British psychologist whose career was marked by both high citation and deep controversy. He is best known for his work on intelligence and personality, but also researched other psychological topics. At the time of his death, he was the most frequently cited living psychologist in peer-reviewed scientific journals. His research included claims that certain personality types were linked to a higher risk of cancer and heart disease, as well as work on IQ scores and race, first published in 1971, which generated significant dispute. Scholars later identified errors and suspected data manipulation in his studies, and large replication efforts failed to confirm the relationships he reported. An inquiry on behalf of King’s College London found that papers coauthored with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek were “incompatible with modern clinical science,” with 26 joint papers considered suspect. In 2020, fourteen papers were retracted, and over sixty statements of concern were issued by scientific journals regarding Eysenck’s publications. Two researchers, David Marks and Rod Buchanan, argued that 87 of his publications should be retracted. Eysenck was born in Berlin to a film star mother and an actor father, and was raised by his maternal grandmother, a Jewish convert to Catholicism who later died in a concentration camp. He moved permanently to England in the 1930s due to his opposition to the Nazi party. He earned his PhD in 1940 from University College London under Cyril Burt, with whom he had a difficult professional relationship. He served as Professor of Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, from 1955 to 1983. He developed a dimensional model of personality based on factor analysis and biogenetic variation, and was a founding member of the World Cultural Council. He founded the journal *Personality and Individual Differences*, wrote about 80 books and over 1,600 journal articles, and was an atheist. He died of a brain tumor in a London hospice in 1997.
- born
- 4 March 1916, Berlin, Germany
- field
- Psychology
- nationality
- German-born British
- known_for
- Work on intelligence and personality; dimensional model of personality; controversial claims on race and IQ and cancer-prone personality
Lore & Background
Eysenck was born in Berlin to a film star mother and actor father, and was raised by his maternal grandmother, a Jewish convert to Catholicism who was deported and died in a concentration camp. Scholars have identified errors and suspected data manipulation in his work, and large replications have failed to confirm his findings. An enquiry on behalf of King's College London found papers coauthored with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek 'incompatible with modern clinical science', with 26 joint papers considered suspect; 14 papers were retracted in 2020, and over 60 statements of concern were issued. David Marks and Rod Buchanan argued that 87 publications by Eysenck should be retracted. Eysenck was an atheist and a signer of the Humanist Manifesto. His second wife, psychologist Sybil B. G. Eysenck, with whom he collaborated for many years, died in December 2020.
Reader's Guide
Hans Eysenck's significance lies in his major contributions to the modern scientific theory of personality, particularly his dimensional model based on factor-analytic research and biogenetic variation. However, his legacy is deeply contested due to controversies surrounding his research on race and intelligence and on personality and disease. Scholars have identified errors and suspected data manipulation in his work, and large replications have failed to confirm his claims. The retraction of 14 papers in 2020 and over 60 statements of concern from scientific journals underscore the severity of the issues. His work on IQ and race, funded in part by the Pioneer Fund, an organization promoting scientific racism, and his research on cancer-prone personality, funded via a law firm acting for the tobacco industry, have further tarnished his reputation. While he was once the most cited living psychologist, the reliability of his findings is now widely questioned, making his legacy a cautionary tale about the intersection of science, controversy, and data integrity.
Did You Know?
- Eysenck was the most frequently cited living psychologist in peer-reviewed journals at the time of his death.
- An enquiry found 26 papers coauthored with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek 'incompatible with modern clinical science'; 14 were retracted in 2020.
- Eysenck was punched in the face by a protester during a talk at the London School of Economics over his views on race and IQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hans Eysenck most famous for?
He is best remembered for developing a dimensional model of personality and for his extensive work studying intelligence. At the time of his passing, he held the distinction of being the most frequently cited living psychologist in peer-reviewed journal literature.
Why is Hans Eysenck considered controversial?
His research drew significant criticism, particularly around claims linking race to IQ and the idea of a so-called cancer-prone personality. Allegations of data manipulation further fueled ongoing debate about the integrity of some of his findings.
Why does Hans Eysenck matter in the history of psychology?
His dimensional approach to personality shaped decades of subsequent research into individual differences. Even amid the controversies surrounding his work, his influence on how psychologists study personality and intelligence remains substantial.
More in Psychologists And Psychiatrists 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record