William Stephenson

Who was William Stephenson?

William Stephenson was a psychologist and physicist best known for developing Q methodology.

He was born in England and trained in physics at the University of Oxford and Durham University. His interest in research methods in physics and complementarity led him to an increased interest in psychology. This resulted in his studying at University College London under Charles Spearman, a pioneer of factor analysis. While there he also worked with Cyril Burt. Stephenson received his second Ph.D., in psychology, in 1929.

Stephenson is most known for his development of an alternative form of factoral analysis concerned with the operationalizing of subjectivity, Q methodology. At the same time as he published his first paper on Q methodology in Nature in 1935, he was in analysis with Melanie Klein, as part of a project initiated by the British Psycho-Analytic Society to promote research on psychoanalysis within academic psychology.

In 1936 he became the assistant director of Oxford's Institute of Experimental Psychology.

During the Second World War he joined the British military and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, serving in India.