Leahey's approach is similar to Robinson's in that it allows Freud to be part of a systematic line, but different in that Leahey sees the process as a combination of far more players. 3. Can you think of any other psychologist from 100 years ago who is still as well-known today? What do you think are some of the important contributions of Freud? Why do you think psychologists are not so impressed with these contributions?

Often, it seems as if it is pioneers who are well-remembered in the sciences, or at least those who engender radical or controversial theories. Freud, as founder of the psychoanalytic school and theories of the unconscious mind was, of course, thrown into popularity with his work on sexual desire as a primary motivator of humans. Since Victorian society was so...

Additionally, Freud was at the right place at the right time -- contributing a number of commentaries and research into the brain. Because he simultaneously developed a theory of how the human mind is organized and how human behavior results from particular theoretical understandings, his work translates well into the vernacular. Of course there were a number of important psychologists during this time: William James, Popper, Kandel, etc., all of whom may have contributed more to the field in their own right. But it was his students and followers who allowed his theories to evolve and disseminate - and were picked up within other disciplines, thus also contributing more to the repetition and mystique of Freud (Zaretsky, 2005).