Jan Strelau

Professor Jan Strelau (born May 30 1931, in Gdańsk) is a Polish psychologist, doctor honoris causa of Adam Mickiewicz University and University of Gdańsk.

He is a continuator of the theory of functional efficiency of a nerve cell, started by Ivan Pawlow, and a creator of a regulatory theory of temperament. In his theory temperament is a two-dimensional concept, which includes the dimension of time and the dimension of energy. On the dimension of energy temperament can be characterized by four attributes: activity, intensity, sensorial sensitivity and endurability. On the level of time he specifies adaptibility and persistence.

He is an initiator and manager of the Faculty of Psychology of Individual Differences at the Department of Psychology at the University of Warsaw and the Interdisciplinary Center of the Genetics of Behavior. He also works as a professor at the Silesian University and at the Warsaw School of Social Psychology.

He is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea and a correspondent member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. He gained an honorary degree of the University of Gdańsk and the Nation University of Human Studies in Moscow. He is a member of many international scientific societies, in years 1966-2000 he was a vice-chairman of the International Union of Psychological Studies.

Jan Strelau published nearly 200 scientific articles in the field of psychology of individual differences.

In 2006 he was awarded with a Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science (regarded as the Polish Nobel prize) for creating an original regulatory theory of temperament, and especially for the work Temperament. A Psychological Perspective.

In November 2006 he was honoured by the degree honoris causa of the Adam Mickiewicz University.