Giuseppe (Joseph) Dominic Matarazzo (born November 12, 1925) is an American psychologist and a past president of the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

(APA). He chaired the first medical psychology department in the United States and has been credited with much of the early work in

health psychology Health psychology is the study of psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare. The discipline is concerned with understanding how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illn ...

Biography

Early life

Matarazzo was born in Caiazzo, Italy. He attended school in New York and then joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and Brown University before earning a PhD in clinical psychology at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

. Matarazzo had decided upon a career in psychology while talking with a physician aboard a naval ship.

Career

Early in his career, Matarazzo taught psychology at the

Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine has 1,260 students, 604 of which are pursuing a medical degree with ...

and

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. From 1957 to 1996, Matarazzo was the founding chairman of the medical psychology department at

Oregon Health Sciences University Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a public research university focusing primarily on health sciences with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland, Oregon. The institution was founded in 1887 as the University of Oregon Med ...

(OHSU), the first such department in the U.S. with administrative autonomy. In 1989, Matarazzo served as president of the APA. He is a professor emeritus at OHSU, where his research interests included behavioral cardiology and neuropsychology. He is credited with naming and laying the foundation for the field of

. He was the first president of the APA's Division of Health Psychology in 1978. In addition to his service with the APA, Matarazzo has served as president of the American Psychological Foundation, the Oregon Mental Health Association, the International Council of Psychologists, the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and the American Association of State Psychology Boards.

Legacy

The Joseph D. Matarazzo Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in Academic Health Centers is awarded by the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers to recognize "outstanding psychologists whose work in medical school and health care settings has enhanced the roles of psychologists in education, research, and clinical care." In 2015, ''Newsweek'' mentioned Matarazzo in an article on the involvement of APA officials in U.S. interrogation programs and torture. When psychologists had complained about the involvement of their profession in such interrogation programs, Matarazzo had authored a memo stating that sleep deprivation did not amount to torture. He later held owned shares in a company that had designed the interrogation programs.

Personal

Matarazzo's wife Ruth is also a successful psychologist. She is a professor emerita at OHSU.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matarazzo, Joseph Dominic Living people 1925 births Columbia University alumni Brown University alumni Northwestern University alumni Presidents of the American Psychological Association Italian emigrants to the United States 21st-century American psychologists United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American psychologists