Previous Winners

2009 - Anne Treisman

A scientist who helped explain how our brains build meaningful images from the bits of information we see won the 2009 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Psychology.

People who believe in themselves can raise their aspirations, motivation and accomplishments and are more apt to try new things by watching others do them. So says Albert Bandura, a Stanford University professor of social science in psychology who won the 2008 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.

2007 - Giacomo Rizzolatti, Vittorio Gallese and Leonardo Fogassi

The old saying "monkey see, monkey do" also applies to human behavior, say a trio of Italian scientists who earned the 2007 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.

2006 - John O’Keefe and Lynn Nadel

How do people know where they are and how they got there? Two scientists who have helped identify the brain’s mapping system earned the 2006 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.

2005 - Elizabeth Loftus

A psychologist noted for her study of human memory and how it can be altered has won the 2005 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.

2004 - Aaron Beck

A psychiatrist considered to be the founder of cognitive therapy -- and credited with its approach of helping people learn techniques to help themselves -- has won the 2004 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.

2003 - Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky

Working as a team for nearly three decades, the psychologists revolutionized the scientific approach to decision making, ultimately affecting all social sciences and many related disciplines.