Robert Plomin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Plomin
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Plomin in 2018
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Robert Plomin
1948 (age 76–77) |
| Citizenship | American British |
| Alma mater | DePaul University (BA) University of Texas at Austin (PhD) |
| Known for | Twins Early Development Study |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Dunn |
| Awards | Dobzhansky Memorial Award (2002; Behavior Genetics Association), William James Fellow Award (2004; Association for Psychological Science), Lifetime Achievement Award (2011; International Society for Intelligence Research) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychology, behavioral genetics |
| Institutions | University of Colorado at Boulder, Pennsylvania State University, King's College London |
| Doctoral advisor | Arnold H. Buss |
Robert Joseph Plomin, born in 1948, is a well-known American and British scientist. He is a psychologist and a geneticist. Dr. Plomin is famous for his work in a field called behavioral genetics. This field studies how our genes and our environment influence who we are.
In 2002, a study showed that Dr. Plomin was one of the most often mentioned psychologists of the 20th century. He has also written many books about genetics and psychology.
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About Robert Plomin
Robert Plomin was born in Chicago, a big city in the United States. After high school, he went to DePaul University and earned a degree in psychology in 1970. Later, in 1974, he earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
After finishing his studies, Dr. Plomin worked at the University of Colorado Boulder. He then moved to Pennsylvania State University in 1986. There, he studied twins to learn more about aging. Since 1994, he has been working at King's College London in the United Kingdom. He has also led the Behavior Genetics Association.
In 1987, Robert Plomin married Judith Dunn. She is also a psychologist and a professor.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Dr. Plomin has received many important awards for his scientific work.
Major Awards
- In 2002, he received the Dobzhansky Memorial Award. This award recognized his amazing work in behavior genetics throughout his career.
- The Association for Psychological Science gave him the William James Fellow Award in 2004.
- In 2011, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Intelligence Research. This award honored his long and important contributions to research on intelligence.
- He also received the APA Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology in 2017.
Other Honors
Robert Plomin is considered one of the top 100 most important psychologists of the 20th century. In 2005, he became a Fellow of the British Academy. This is a special honor for experts in social sciences and humanities in the UK.
In 2023, Dr. Plomin was given a special title called Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This honor was for his great contributions to scientific research.
Robert Plomin's Research Work
Dr. Plomin's research helps us understand how our genes and our surroundings shape us.
One important idea Dr. Plomin talked about is the "non-shared environment." This means the unique things that happen to each person, even if they grow up in the same family. For example, two brothers might have different friends or different teachers. These unique experiences can make them different from each other, even if they share the same home.
Twins Early Development Study
Starting in 2000, Dr. Plomin led a big project called the Twins Early Development Study. This study looked at all the twins born in England between 1994 and 1996. The goal was to understand how genes and environment affect how children develop. They looked at things like learning difficulties, behavior challenges, and how well kids did in school.
