Elizabeth Duffy

Elizabeth Duffy has been rather obscure in the literature of psychology. Though some encyclopedias have referenced her in older editions, her name is gone from more recent ones. One of her few referenced works which still remains available is Activation and Behavior:

Duffy, Elizabeth. Activation and Behavior. NEW YORK: John Wiley & Sons, 1962. LCCCN 62-15174

Most notably, Duffy focused on life and psychology in terms of energy systems, an idea which presaged more recent work by Gregg Henriques and others. One of her classic insights follows:

"The organism is conceived of as characteristically an energy system, storing energy and releasing it in activity of one form or another ..." (from Activation and Behavior, pg. viii).

If the future of unifying psychology relies upon an integration with energy and energy systems, then Elizabeth Duffy must be acknowledged as a pioneering spirit for this movement.

JAK 04:12, 6 December 2006 (UTC)