Mary K. Rothbart, professor emeritus of psychology, is the recipient of the 2009 Gold Medal for Life Achievement in the Science of Psychology. The award was announced in May by the American Psychological Foundation.
“Rothbart’s contributions to the development of the concept of temperament — the basic foundation of personality — have been fundamental to the field of psychology,” noted the foundation’s announcement. “She proposed a unique theory of temperament, in which temperament is seen as individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation, influenced over time by heredity, maturation, and experience. She described temperament as a dynamic system that changes from infancy to adulthood.”
Rothbart, who earned a doctorate in psychology from Stanford University, joined the UO in 1970. She retired in 2002. She will officially receive the award on Aug. 7 during the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Toronto. The APF also will make a $2,000 donation in Rothbart’s honor to a charity of her choice.
