Irwin Altman

Irwin Altman (born July 16, 1930 in New York City, New York), is a social psychologist who
earned his B.A. degree from New York University in 1951, his M.A. degree from the
University of Maryland in 1954 and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1957. He is
active in many groups and associations including the International Association of Applied
Psychology, American Psychological Association, American Association for the
Advancement of Science, American Association of University Professors, Society for the
Psychological Study of Social Issues, Society of Experimental Social Psychology, Society of
Personality and Social Psychology, Association for the Study of Man-Environment Relations,
Environmental Design Research Association, and the Western Psychological Association. He
is currently an emeritus faculty member at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Irwin Altman

Born June 16, 1930

New York City, New York, United States

Nationality American

Occupation Social psychologist

Known for Social penetration theory

Social penetration theory

Altman is famous for his work with Taylor resulting in the social penetration theory, which
generally states that as relationships develop, communication moves from relatively
shallow, non-intimate levels to deeper, more personal levels. If conversation is pleasant and
rewarding, people will offer more information about themselves to each other that covers
more areas of their life and is more sensitive to them.

Environmental psychology

Altman also did work in the field of environmental psychology. He believes there is a strong
relationship between environmental psychology and social psychology and that the two
disciplines have much to offer each other. Altman's Human Behavior and the Environment
series added volumes on intellectual traditions (Altman & Christensen 1990), place
attachment (Altman & Low 1992), and women and the environment (Altman & Churchman
1994). Much of his work following his Social Penetration Theory looked at human behavior
and interactions with the environment.

Other achievements

This section is empty.

Learn more

References

Altman, Irwin; Taylor, Dalmas A. (1973). Social penetration: The development of

interpersonal relationships . New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Altman, Irwin (1973). "Reciprocity of interpersonal exchange". Journal for Theory of Social
Behavior. 3: 249–261.

External links

Official website