Nico Frijda

Nico Henri Frijda(1 May 1927 – 11 April 2015) was a Dutch psychologist and professor of theUniversity of Amsterdam.

Nico Frijda

Life

Frijda was born inAmsterdam.He studiedpsychologyat theGemeenteuniversiteit Amsterdam,where he received hisPhDin 1956 on the thesis titleUnderstanding Facial Expressionswith Géza Révész as advisor. In 1965 he was appointedfull professor.Frijda retired in 1992 to becomeemeritus professor.In 2007 he received a laurea honoris causa in psychology from University of Padova.

Work

Frijda devoted his career to humanemotions.In his early career he focused on facial expressions, which was an acceptable approach in the then dominantbehaviouristtradition in which emotions were consideredepiphenomena.Frijda developed a multifocal theory of emotions with the concept of "action tendency"as focal issues. Emotions are, in this view, tendencies to engage in behaviour influenced by the needs of the person. This theory was outlined in detail inThe Emotions(1986), hismagnum opuswhich was first published in English and two years later in a Dutch translation. He died on April 11, 2015.

Works

• De betekenis van de gelaatsexpressie(1956)
• Gelaat en karakter(1958)
• Post uit Friesland(1984)
• The Emotions(1986)ISBN0-521-30155-6(hardcover);ISBN0-521-31600-6(paperback)
• De wetten van het gevoel(1987) rede ter gelegenheid van de zevende Duijkerlezing
• De emoties; een overzicht van onderzoek en theorie(1988)ISBN90-351-0702-0
• De psychologie heeft zin(1993)ISBN90-5333-184-0
• The Laws of Emotions(2006) (Nederlandse vertaling: januari 2008)