Carolyn Sherif

Who was Carolyn Sherif?

Carolyn Wood Sherif was an American social psychologist who helped to develop social judgment theory and contributed pioneering research in the areas of the self-system, group conflict, cooperation, and gender identity. She also assumed a leading role in psychology both nationally as well as internationally. In addition to performing seminal social psychology research, Wood Sherif devoted herself to teaching her students and was recognized for her efforts with an American Psychological Association award named in her honor that is presented annually.

She was born Carolyn Wood on 26 June 1922, the youngest of three children of Bonny Williams and Lawrence Anselm Wood, in Loogootee, Indiana. In 1945, she married fellow psychologist, Muzafer Sherif, with whom she had three children: Sue, Joan, and Ann Sherif. In July 1982, Carolyn Wood Sherif died of cancer at age 60 in State College, Pennsylvania.