10 May 1906 -

29 April 1993LEONA TYLER

HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS

Leona Tyler was born in Chetek, Wisconsin on May 10, 1906

No one in her family had ever gone to college, so her parents supported her and her three brothers in pursuit of high education.

Because of this, she was constantly ahead of her peers academically and graduated high school at the age of fifteen.

EARLY YEARS

Graduated from junior college at the age of 19

Went on to the University of Minnesota where she earned a Bachelor ’s degree in English in 1925.

Due to the culture at the time, she began a career as a teacher and taught junior high school for 13 years in both Minnesota and Michigan.

COLLEGE

Through teaching, Tyler developed an interest in individual differences due to the diversity of her students.

In 1937 she enrolled in a course on individual differences at the University of Southern Califronia

She continued to teach junior high while pursuing her master ’s and PhD.

She used her students to gather data for her dissertation on development of interests of adolescent girls.

INTEREST IN PSYCHOLOGY

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES

“Throughout my entire life, being female has never made me feel inferior. I accepted many aspects of prevailing sex roles without thinking much about them, and I have probably been discriminated against on occasion, but I never had to struggle with such discrimination, and I never saw it as a tremendous obstacle.”

- Leona Tyler (1978)

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES

Professional ly came of age between the two great women’s movements of the 20 t h Century ( a s c i t e d i n F a s s i n g e r )

Tyler ’s mother adamantly bel ieved in the 19 t h Amendment

Tyler took this to heart , having once commented:

“My assumption that intell igent people no longer considered women inferior persis ted. I never had occasion to quest ion i t .” (Tyler, 1988)

Claimed to have no experiences of discrimination (a s c i t ed i n F ass i nge r )

Tyler later realized her career probably progressed at a slower rate than her male col leagues

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES:SEXISM

Tyler was rather reserved and modest – she never forced her way into psychology’s l imel ight

Tyler was wel l accepted by powerful male mentors and peers

One of the few women in the history of psychology who experienced uniformly supportive relat ionships with men

( a s c i t e d i n F a s s i n g e r )

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES:SEXISM

Tyle r never mar r i ed , nor have ch i ld ren

Found a f ew of he r ma le f r i ends to be v iab le candida t es fo r romant ic pa r tne r s - none of them were ava i l ab le in th i s capac i ty

Tyle r found the idea of da t ing s t r anger a f t e r s t r anger in sea rch of the “ r igh t one” to be d i shones t and r epugnan t

She no ted tha t a t the t ime , i t was ex t r emely d i f f i cu l t fo r women to jugg l e bo th a ca ree r and a f ami ly :

“I would have had to marry a man who would take care o f my f ami ly, encourage my work , and over look my lack o f soc ia l sk i l l s .” (Tyl er, 1977)

Tyle r d id , however, acknowledge tha t he r ce l i bacy a l lowed for he r to remain focused on he r work :

“Being on my own has con t r ibu ted to my success , a l though i t i s no t t he l i f e I would have chosen . ‘She t rave l s fas t es t who t rave l s a lone , ’ to adapt a famous quota t ion .” (Tyl er, 1988)

Regard l ess , Ty le r ma in ta ined ve ry c lose bonds wi th he r f r i ends and he r ex t ended fami ly

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES:PERSONAL LIFE

While Tyler was an extremely demure woman, at t imes her modesty was her own enemy

During the las t 6 years of her career at the Univers i ty of Oregon, Tyler served as dean of the Graduate School

She bel ieved this honor was only g iven to her owing to a need and not to her own meri t or sk i l l

She found the ro le of dean diff icul t to get used to and considered such a ro le unsui table for women; however, she would later note:

“Had the opportuni ty come ten years la ter, a f ter the resurgence of mi l i tant feminism, perhaps my s truggle wi th mysel f would have been easier ” (Tyler, 1988)

After a t r ip abroad, Tyler was as tonished to f ind that hersel f and her theories had become so widely recognized in the psychological wor ld

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES:PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Le o n a Ty le r d e v o t ed h e r t im e a n d e ff o r t s t o m a n y a v e n u e s , b o th a ca d e m ic a n d p h i l an th r o p i c

H e r c h a ra c te r a n d d r iv e we r e a b l e to o p e n d o o r s th a t v e ry f ew w o m e n w a lk e d t h ro u g h a t t h e t im e

A “ f e w ” o f h e r a c c o m p l i sh m en t s :

- El e c t e d p r e s i d e n t o f t h e Or e g o n Psy c h o l o g ic a l Asso c i a t i o n , t h e We s t e r n Psy c h o l o g ic a l A sso c i a t i o n , a n d D i v i s i o n 1 7 ( Co u n se l i n g P sy ch o l o g y ) o f t h e Am e r i c a n Psy c h o lo g ic a l A sso c ia t io n

- Th e APA h o n o r e d h e r b y n a m in g i t s h i g h e s t a w ar d a f t e r h e r – t h e Le o n a Ty l e r Aw a r d – wh ic h h o n o r s t h o se w h o h a v e g r e a t l y c o n t r i b u t e d t o Co u n se l i n g P sy ch o l o g y

- El e c t e d to t h e APA B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s a n d l a t e r t o th e Po l i c y a n d P l a n n i n g Bo a r d

- I n 1 9 7 2 , sh e b e c a m e t h e 8 1 s t p r e s id e n t a n d f o u r t h w o m a n t o b e e l e c t ed p r e s id en t o f t h e A PA .

OBSTACLES & STRUGGLES:A LAST NOTE

EXPERIMENTS & RESEARCH

Lifetime fascination of the study of the individual and characteristics that separated one person from another (Tyler, 1961)

Looked at how choices affected peoples’ lives (Sundberg, 1994)

RESEARCH

Longitudinal, cross-cultural study where individuals would sort cards that had an occupation written on them

Explored reasons why they sorted them in that way (Held, 2010)

Result: Dislikes and avoidances are more important than likes, when thinking about careers (Sundberg, 1994)

CHOICE PATTERN TECHNIQUE

Choice pattern technique is still used in career counseling (Held, 2010)

Leona Tyler instructed more graduate students for theses and dissertations than any other faculty member at the University of Oregon (Sundberg, 1994)

CHOICE PATTERN TECHNIQUE

THEORIES WITH THEIR STRENGTHS &

WEAKNESSES

The theory that all creatures, based on certain biological factors, are born with multipotentiality, and by choosing to actualize only certain possibilities throughout his or her life, the creature develops into the individual that it is now. These choices are both conscious and unconscious, driven by both internal and environmental pressures.

THEORY OF POSSIBILITIES

StrengthsAppreciates the impact of

environment and context on the development of the individual

Realizes that each choice leads an individual down a narrower path (each choice eliminates other potentialities)

Does not hold the individual completely responsible for his or her choices*

Weaknesses Does not fully account for

biological influencesDoes not hold the individual

completely responsible for his or her choices*

THEORY OF POSSIBILITIES

“A means of encouraging natural,

developmental processes and

exploring cognitive structures and their role in organizing

individual experiences and choices.” (Held

2010)

StrengthsOffers guidance to ‘normal’

people, rather than only to people who have some sort of psychological ‘problem’

COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

A type of counseling, or therapy, that brings about the least amount of change needed to steer the client in a new direction. “Its most fundamental assumption is that there are many different ways of living an individual life richly and well, and that it is natural for a person to continue to develop throughout his life in his own unique way.” (Tyler 1960)

MINIMUM CHANGE THERAPY

StrengthsShortens the duration of

counselingAllows the client to

maintain most aspects of his or her personality; a change in direction rather than a change in personality

WeaknessesMay not provide enough

change for clients

MINIMUM CHANGE THERAPY

Wro t e t h e p r i m a r y t e x t b o o k f o r g r ad u a t e s t u d en t s i n c o u n s e l i n g p s y c h o l o g y ( Wo r k o f t h e C o u n s e l o r )

Wro t e t h e l a t e s t ed i t i o n o f D ev e l o p m e n t a l P s y c h o l o g y w i t h F l o r e n c e Go o d e n o u g h

C r e a t e d T h e C h o i c e P a t t e r n Te c h n i q u e , a t e s t s h e d e v e l o p e d t o r e s e a r c h c h o i c e p a t t e r n s , wh i c h i s s t i l l u s e d t o d a y i n c a r e e r co u n s e l i n g

De e p e n e d a n d ex p a n d e d p s y c h o l o g y ’s c o n c e p t i o n o f t h e n a t u r e a n d c o m p l e x i t y o f i n d i v i d u a l d i f f e r e n c e s

Op e n e d a n d m a n a g e d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Ore g o n ’s C o u n s e l i n g C e n t e r

Ad v o c a t ed t h e i m p o r t a n c e an d c o n t i n u a t i o n o f c o u n s e l i n g p s y c h o l o g y t h r o u g h h e r l a s t d a y s

He r g r e a t e s t l e g a c y wa s h e r e n d u r i n g “c o n c e r n fo r a l l o wi n g a n d e n c o u ra g i n g p e o p l e t o f i n d t h em s e l v e s , t o l e a r n , an d e s p e c i a l l y t o c l a r i f y a n d c h o o s e t h e i r p o t en t i a l i t i e s i n an o f t e n c h a o t i c w o r l d . ” ( An o n y m o u s , 1 9 9 1 )

LEONA TYLER’S INFLUENCE

B ro o k s . , & G o n z a l e s ( 1 9 9 9 ) .   Ti me l i n e o f w o m e n ' s s u f f r a g e i n t h e u n i t e d s t a t e s . R e t r i e v e d f r o m   h t t p : / / d p s i n f o . co m / w o m e n / h i s t o r y / t i m e l i n e .h t m l

F as s i n g e r R . E . ( 2 0 0 3 ) . Le o n a Ty l e r : P i o n ee r o f P o s s i b i l i t i e s . I n G . A . K i m b l e & M . We r t h e i m e r, P o r t r a i t s o f P i o n e er s i n Ps yc h o l o g y, Vo l u m e V . M ah w a h , N J : L a w re n ce E r l b a u m A s s o c i a t e s .

H el d , L . ( 2 0 1 0 ) . P ro f i l e o f L eo n a Ty l e r. I n A . R u t h e r fo r d ( Ed . ) , P s y ch o l o g y ' s F em i n i s t Vo i c e s M u l t i m e d i a I n t e rn e t A rc h i v e . R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. f em i n i s t v o i c e s . c o m / l e o n a - - t y l e r/

O 'C o n n e l l , A . N . , & R u s s o , N . F. ( Ed s . ) ( 1 9 9 0 ) .   Wo m e n i n Ps y c h o l o g y.  We s t p o r t , C T: G r ee n w o o d P re s s .

S u n d b e rg , N . D . , & L i t t ma n , R . A . (1 9 9 4 ) . L eo n a E l i z ab e t h Ty l e r (1 9 0 6 -1 9 9 3 ) . A m e r i ca n P s y c h o l o g i s t , 4 9 ( 3 ) , 2 11 .

Ty l e r, L . E (1 9 5 9 ) . To w a rd A Wo rk a b l e P s y ch o l o g y O f I n d i v i d u a l i t y. U n i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n .

Ty l e r, L . E . ( 1 9 5 8 ) . T h e o re t i c a l P r i n c i p l e s U n d e r l y i n g t h e C o u n s e l i n g P ro c e s s .

Ty l e r, L . E . ( 1 9 6 1 ) . R e s ea rc h E x p l o r a t i o n s i n t h e R e a l m o f C h o i ce . J o u r n a l o f C o u n s e l i n g P s y c h o l o g y , 8 ( 3 ) 1 9 5 -2 0 1 .

Ty l e r, L . E . ( 1 9 4 3 ) . R e l a t i o n s h i p s B e t w ee n S t ro n g Vo ca t i o n a l I n t e r e s t Sc o re s a n d O t h e r A t t i t u d e a n d P e r s o n a l i t y F a c t o r s . U n i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n .

Ty l e r, L . E . ( 1 9 6 0 ) . C o n t r o l l i n g t h e D u ra t i o n o f C o u n s e l i n g : M i n i m u m C h a n g e Th e ra p y. U n i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n .

REFERENCES