Adrian Furnham facts for kids

Adrian Frank Furnham (born 3 February 1953) is a smart British psychologist. He was born in South Africa. He studies how people think and act, especially in workplaces. He is a professor at University College London and BI Norwegian Business School. He has also taught at many other universities around the world.

Adrian Furnham is interested in many areas of psychology. This includes how people behave at work, how they make money decisions, and how their health affects their minds. He has written many books and articles about his research. He is a respected member of the British Psychological Society.

Early Life and Ambition

Adrian Furnham was born in South Africa in 1953. His parents were British. He grew up in a town called Port Shepstone. He met many people from different countries there. Adrian was an only child. His dad worked with newspapers, and his mom was a nurse.

Even when he was young, Adrian was very ambitious. He wanted to do well in school and in life. This was different from his parents, who were happy with simpler things. Adrian also loved to learn deeply about new topics. His parents were not as interested in exploring new ideas.

Education Journey

Adrian Furnham studied a lot! He earned one bachelor's degree, three master's degrees, and three doctorates. He started university at age 16 in 1970. He studied history, psychology, and theology.

He earned his first master's degree in 1974. He then got another master's degree in economics. Later, he earned a third master's in science. He completed his first doctorate at Oxford University in 1981. He later received two more doctorates.

Career Highlights

Adrian Furnham is a professor of psychology at University College London. He has taught at many places, including Oxford University. He also taught business management in Hong Kong. Since 2009, he has been a professor at the Norwegian School of Management.

He is known as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. This means he is an expert in how people behave at work. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. This is a special honor for psychologists. He also leads a group called the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences.

Adrian Furnham has helped many companies. He advises them on how to build strong teams. He also helps with testing and leadership skills. Because of his work, he has received several awards.

He has written over 70 books. Many of his books have been translated into different languages. He also writes for newspapers like the Financial Times and Guardian. He contributes to magazines and appears on TV and radio shows.

Interesting Research

Understanding People

Adrian Furnham likes to study how people are different. He looks at various tests that measure personality. He compares these tests to see how well they work. He has reviewed many old and new personality tests. This helps everyone understand how these tests measure things like how much people like new ideas.

Creating New Tests

Adrian Furnham has also created his own tests. For example, he made a test in 1986 about how people feel about money. In 1992, he made a test about how people explain things that happen at work.

With a student, he developed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. This test helps measure a person's emotional intelligence. He also created the High Flyer Trait Inventory. This test looks at personality traits important for success at work.

Self-Awareness and Intelligence

Adrian Furnham has studied how people see themselves. He researched how people estimate their own intelligence. His studies showed that boys often guess their intelligence is higher than girls do. These differences seem to be true across different ages and cultures.

Understanding Workplace Behavior

Adrian Furnham has researched what he calls "dark side" personalities. These are certain behaviors that can cause problems at work. For example, some people might not think about how their actions affect others. While these behaviors can be difficult, sometimes they seem to help people get ahead in their careers.

He uses special surveys to study these behaviors. His research helps us understand why some people act in certain ways at work. He has written many papers and books on this topic.

Awards and Achievements

• 2010 Elected Fellow of the Leadership Trust
• 2010 Elected Academician of the Learned Society of the Social Sciences
• 2011 British Psychological Society Academic Contribution to Practice Award
• 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award