What is it about?
This article examines the Cold War-era Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) work of the famous American psychologist and personality theorist, George Kelly. It documents Kelly’s CIA activities during the late 1950s and early 1960s and places them in historical context.
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Why is it important?
The collaboration between Kelly and other psychologists with the CIA sheds light on the challenges scientists encountered during the Cold War. Historical analysis of past CIA work by psychologists is important because it highlights the intricate dilemmas that psychologists face when deciding whether to use their expertise to advance foreign policy and related government initiatives.
Perspectives
Researching Kelly's CIA work was fascinating and enlightening. My doctoral advisor, the late Franz Epting, conducted many of the interviews cited in this article while working on a biography of George Kelly. Before his death in 2023, Franz asked me to complete the project. This article emerged from my ongoing research on it.
Dr. Jonathan D. Raskin
State University of New York at New Paltz
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Psychologist undercover: George Kelly and the central intelligence agency., American Psychologist, October 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/amp0001605.
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