PSYCHOLOGIST
David McClelland
1917 - 1998

David McClelland
David Clarence McClelland (May 20, 1917 – March 27, 1998) was an American psychologist, noted for his work on motivation need theory. He published a number of works between the 1950s and the 1990s and developed new scoring systems for the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and its descendants. McClelland is credited with developing Achievement Motivation Theory, commonly referred to as "need for achievement" or n-achievement theory. A Review of General Psychology survey published in 2002, ranked McClelland as the 15th most cited psychologist of the 20th century. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. David McClelland is the 92nd most popular psychologist (down from 87th in 2019), the 1,914th most popular biography from United States (down from 1,491st in 2019) and the 31st most popular American Psychologist.
David McClelland is most famous for his theory of needs, which he proposed in the 1960s. This theory states that people have three basic needs: the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power.
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Among PSYCHOLOGISTS
Among psychologists, David McClelland ranks 92 out of 235. Before him are G. Stanley Hall, Edward C. Tolman, Harry Stack Sullivan, Auguste Forel, Théodule-Armand Ribot, and Benjamin Bloom. After him are Urie Bronfenbrenner, V. S. Ramachandran, Vladimir Bekhterev, R. D. Laing, Rollo May, and Walter Bradford Cannon.
Most Popular Psychologists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsG. Stanley Hall
1846 - 1924
HPI: 66.81
Rank: 86
Edward C. Tolman
1886 - 1959
HPI: 66.67
Rank: 87
Harry Stack Sullivan
1892 - 1949
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 88
Auguste Forel
1848 - 1931
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 89
Théodule-Armand Ribot
1839 - 1916
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 90
Benjamin Bloom
1913 - 1999
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 91
David McClelland
1917 - 1998
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 92
Urie Bronfenbrenner
1917 - 2005
HPI: 66.12
Rank: 93
V. S. Ramachandran
1951 - Present
HPI: 66.11
Rank: 94
Vladimir Bekhterev
1857 - 1927
HPI: 66.03
Rank: 95
R. D. Laing
1927 - 1989
HPI: 65.89
Rank: 96
Rollo May
1909 - 1994
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 97
Walter Bradford Cannon
1871 - 1945
HPI: 65.74
Rank: 98
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1917, David McClelland ranks 77. Before him are Maurice Duverger, Masahiko Kimura, Obdulio Varela, Kamal Jumblatt, Asmahan, and Carson McCullers. After him are Urie Bronfenbrenner, Susan Hayward, David Easton, Pál Maléter, Herbert Lom, and Magda Szabó. Among people deceased in 1998, David McClelland ranks 49. Before him are Maria Reiche, Antonio Quarracino, Bob Kane, Hans von Ohain, Zlatko Čajkovski, and Lloyd Bridges. After him are Roddy McDowall, Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche, Nelson Goodman, Galina Ulanova, Martha Gellhorn, and Fritz Honka.
Others Born in 1917
Go to all RankingsMaurice Duverger
POLITICAL SCIENTIST
1917 - 2014
HPI: 66.97
Rank: 71
Masahiko Kimura
WRESTLER
1917 - 1993
HPI: 66.71
Rank: 72
Obdulio Varela
SOCCER PLAYER
1917 - 1996
HPI: 66.70
Rank: 73
Kamal Jumblatt
POLITICIAN
1917 - 1977
HPI: 66.46
Rank: 74
Asmahan
SINGER
1917 - 1944
HPI: 66.44
Rank: 75
Carson McCullers
WRITER
1917 - 1967
HPI: 66.37
Rank: 76
David McClelland
PSYCHOLOGIST
1917 - 1998
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 77
Urie Bronfenbrenner
PSYCHOLOGIST
1917 - 2005
HPI: 66.12
Rank: 78
Susan Hayward
ACTOR
1917 - 1975
HPI: 66.02
Rank: 79
David Easton
POLITICAL SCIENTIST
1917 - 2014
HPI: 65.93
Rank: 80
Pál Maléter
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1917 - 1958
HPI: 65.69
Rank: 81
Herbert Lom
ACTOR
1917 - 2012
HPI: 65.56
Rank: 82
Magda Szabó
WRITER
1917 - 2007
HPI: 65.51
Rank: 83
Others Deceased in 1998
Go to all RankingsMaria Reiche
MATHEMATICIAN
1903 - 1998
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 43
Antonio Quarracino
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1923 - 1998
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 44
Bob Kane
COMIC ARTIST
1915 - 1998
HPI: 67.12
Rank: 45
Hans von Ohain
INVENTOR
1911 - 1998
HPI: 66.32
Rank: 46
Zlatko Čajkovski
SOCCER PLAYER
1923 - 1998
HPI: 66.24
Rank: 47
Lloyd Bridges
ACTOR
1913 - 1998
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 48
David McClelland
PSYCHOLOGIST
1917 - 1998
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 49
Roddy McDowall
ACTOR
1928 - 1998
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 50
Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche
BUSINESSPERSON
1909 - 1998
HPI: 66.14
Rank: 51
Nelson Goodman
PHILOSOPHER
1906 - 1998
HPI: 66.13
Rank: 52
Galina Ulanova
DANCER
1910 - 1998
HPI: 66.11
Rank: 53
Martha Gellhorn
WRITER
1908 - 1998
HPI: 66.03
Rank: 54
Fritz Honka
EXTREMIST
1935 - 1998
HPI: 66.02
Rank: 55
In United States
Among people born in United States, David McClelland ranks 1,914 out of 20,380. Before him are Samuel R. Delany (1942), Carroll Baker (1931), Harvey S. Firestone (1868), Ryan Murphy (1965), William Henry Pickering (1858), and Richard Donner (1930). After him are Tobey Maguire (1975), Ronald DeFeo Jr. (1951), Jack Parsons (1914), John La Farge (1835), Jerry Zucker (1950), and Conchata Ferrell (1943).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsSamuel R. Delany
WRITER
1942 - Present
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 1,908
Carroll Baker
ACTOR
1931 - Present
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 1,909
Harvey S. Firestone
BUSINESSPERSON
1868 - 1938
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 1,910
Ryan Murphy
FILM DIRECTOR
1965 - Present
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 1,911
William Henry Pickering
ASTRONOMER
1858 - 1938
HPI: 66.19
Rank: 1,912
Richard Donner
FILM DIRECTOR
1930 - 2021
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 1,913
David McClelland
PSYCHOLOGIST
1917 - 1998
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 1,914
Tobey Maguire
ACTOR
1975 - Present
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 1,915
Ronald DeFeo Jr.
EXTREMIST
1951 - 2021
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 1,916
Jack Parsons
ENGINEER
1914 - 1952
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 1,917
John La Farge
PAINTER
1835 - 1910
HPI: 66.16
Rank: 1,918
Jerry Zucker
ACTOR
1950 - Present
HPI: 66.16
Rank: 1,919
Conchata Ferrell
ACTOR
1943 - 2020
HPI: 66.15
Rank: 1,920
Among PSYCHOLOGISTS In United States
Among psychologists born in United States, David McClelland ranks 31. Before him are George Armitage Miller (1920), Timothy Leary (1920), G. Stanley Hall (1846), Edward C. Tolman (1886), Harry Stack Sullivan (1892), and Benjamin Bloom (1913). After him are Rollo May (1909), Walter Bradford Cannon (1871), Carol Gilligan (1936), Frederick Herzberg (1923), Jon Kabat-Zinn (1944), and Robert Sternberg (1949).
George Armitage Miller
1920 - 2012
HPI: 67.25
Rank: 25
Timothy Leary
1920 - 1996
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 26
G. Stanley Hall
1846 - 1924
HPI: 66.81
Rank: 27
Edward C. Tolman
1886 - 1959
HPI: 66.67
Rank: 28
Harry Stack Sullivan
1892 - 1949
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 29
Benjamin Bloom
1913 - 1999
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 30
David McClelland
1917 - 1998
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 31
Rollo May
1909 - 1994
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 32
Walter Bradford Cannon
1871 - 1945
HPI: 65.74
Rank: 33
Carol Gilligan
1936 - Present
HPI: 65.70
Rank: 34
Frederick Herzberg
1923 - 2000
HPI: 65.67
Rank: 35
Jon Kabat-Zinn
1944 - Present
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 36
Robert Sternberg
1949 - Present
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 37