José Luis Pinillos Díaz facts for kids

José Luis Pinillos Díaz (born April 11, 1919, died November 4, 2013) was a very important Spanish psychologist. A psychologist studies how people think, feel, and behave. Pinillos taught psychology for 20 years at the Complutense University of Madrid. Many people think of him as the "father" of modern Spanish psychology. He wrote a famous textbook called Principios de Psicología (Principles of Psychology). This book was used by most students learning psychology in Spain for a long time.

Becoming a Psychologist

José Luis Pinillos traveled a lot to learn about psychology. Early in his career, he went to Germany to work with a scientist named Hans Walter Gruhle. He also went to England to study with Hans Eysenck, another famous psychologist.

In 1953, Pinillos returned to Madrid, Spain. He started working for the Spanish National Research Council. This is a big organization that supports science and research.

Teaching and Research Roles

In 1961, Pinillos spent a short time teaching at the University of Caracas. This university is in Venezuela, a country in South America. Later that same year, he came back to Spain. He took a new job teaching psychology at the University of Valencia.

Then, in 1966, he became the head of the psychology department at the Complutense University of Madrid. This was a very important job. He worked there until he retired in 1986.

Contributions to Spanish Psychology

José Luis Pinillos is known as the person who helped shape modern psychology in Spain. He was a member of two very important groups in Spain. One was the Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas, which means the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. The other was the Royal Spanish Academy, which focuses on the Spanish language. He even served as a leader in the Royal Spanish Academy for a short time.

His textbook, Principios de Psicología, was a huge success. It taught many students the basics of psychology. It helped make psychology a popular subject in Spanish universities.

A Special Role in History

In 1981, something very serious happened in Spain. There was an attempt to take over the government by force, called a coup d'état. During this time, José Luis Pinillos helped the government. He talked with important officials to understand how the people trying to take over were behaving. He also tried to guess what they might do next.

That night, he spoke with a government official. Pinillos advised them not to try and free the government building right away. He said that at night, people might feel stronger and more confident. But he believed that by morning, they would become tired and give up. A few hours later, his prediction came true, and the coup failed.

Awards and Recognition

José Luis Pinillos received many honors for his work. In 1986, he won a special award called the Principe de Asturias Award. This is one of the most important awards in Spain. He also received honorary doctorates from several Spanish universities. An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone to recognize their great achievements, even if they didn't study for that specific degree.

See also

In Spanish: José Luis Pinillos para niños