Paul Thomas Young and experimental dynamic psychology

Today s motivation and emotion psychology stems from the conditions under which the scientific study of both processes emerged and was consolidated, in the first third of the 20th century. This applies if we consider both the progress made and the obstacles that have hindered its development. This paper focuses on the contribution made by the US psychologist Paul Thomas Young (1892-1978), a key figure in motivation and emotion psychology whose modernity has not yet been fully valued. His hedonic theory is a milestone in this field and his book Motivation of Behavior, published in 1936, is the first empirically based book entirely dedicated to motivation. Young can be considered a pioneer in dynamic "experimental psychology"; his works are highly relevant to the study of affective-motivational processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)