# Robert M. Gordon (psychologist)

Robert M. Gordon (born 1947) is an American psychologist known for his work in forensic psychology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psychological assessment. His research focuses on personality assessment and differential diagnosis.

## Early life and education

Gordon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the same institution in 1975. His dissertation examined economic and psychological factors in predicting quality of life, concluding that childhood experiences of love were the strongest predictor of adult happiness. He completed psychoanalytic training in 1979 at the Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health in New York City.

## Career

Gordon has worked in independent practice since 1976, specializing in forensic psychology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psychological assessment. He has held academic positions at Lehigh University, Yeshiva University, Chestnut Hill College, and Widener University, where he supervised doctoral students in clinical and forensic assessment.
He served as president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association from 1990 to 1991 and was a member of the Governing Council of the American Psychological Association (1992–1995, 2001–2003). In 2001, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.
Gordon holds Diplomate status from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Clinical Psychology (1982) and Psychoanalysis (2006).In 2015, the American Psychoanalytic Association elected him as an honorary member for his contributions to psychoanalysis. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a charter member of the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology (APA Division 39).
He is licensed to practice psychology in Pennsylvania and Florida and holds a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. He also has Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT).

### Contributions to Psychology

Gordon has contributed to the development of objective psychodynamic assessment methods. He was a member of the Steering Committee for the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, 2nd Edition (PDM-2) (2014–2016) and co-authored the Psychodiagnostic Chart (PDC) with Robert F. Bornstein. The PDC-2 and PDC-3 are diagnostic tools included in the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual editions 2 and 3.
In forensic psychology, Gordon consulted for the Lehigh County Public Defender’s Office from 2010 to 2020. He has also been a faculty member and research grant committee chair for the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA) since 2014. From 1985 to 2011, he sponsored American Psychological Association-approved continuing education for psychologists, including ethics workshops at Muhlenberg College.

### Public Speaking

In November 2014, Gordon delivered a TEDx Talk titled The Power of Apology, discussing the psychological and interpersonal effects of full apologies.

## Research

Gordon has authored over 100 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals on psychological assessment and diagnosis. His research covers topics such as personality organization, parental alienation, and psychoanalytic treatment. As of 2024, ResearchGate ranks him in the top 3% of forensic psychologists based on scholarly publications.

## Selected publications

* Gordon, R. M. (2024). "An Empirical Study of Gauging Political Leadership: Comparing Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy". International Journal for the Advancement of Scientific Empirical Psychoanalytic Research, 6(1), 53-65.
* Gordon, R. M., Shi, Z., Scharff, D. E., Fishkin, R. E., & Shelby, R. D. (2021). "An International Survey of the Concept of Effective Psychodynamic Treatment During the Pandemic". Psychodynamic Psychiatry. 49(3), 453-462. doi:10.1521/pdps.2021.49.3.453.
* Wang, X., Gordon, R.M. & Snyder, E.W. (2020). "Comparing Chinese and US Practitioners’ Attitudes Towards Teletherapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic". Asia Pacific Psychiatry, Oct.,1-5, doi: 10.1111/appy.12440.
* Robert M. Gordon (2019). "Against Methodological Fundamentalism: Towards a Science for a Complex Dynamic Psychology". International Journal of Psychiatry Research. 2(2):1-2. ISSN 2641- 4317.
* Gordon, R. M.; Bornstein, Robert F. (2018). "Construct Validity of the Psychodiagnostic Chart: A Transdiagnostic Measure of Personality Organization, Personality Syndromes, Mental Functioning, and Symptomatology". Psychoanalytic Psychology. 35(2):280–288. doi:10.1037/pap0000142.
* Gordon, R. M., Gazzillo, F., Blake, A., Bornstein, R. F., Etzi, J., Lingiardi, V., & Tasso, A. F. (2016). "The Relationship Between Theoretical Orientation and Countertransference Expectations: Implications for Ethical Dilemmas and Risk Management". Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 23(3), 236-245. doi:10.1177/0003065115602492.
* Lingiardi, V.; McWilliams, N.; Bornstein, R. F.; Gazzillo, F.; Gordon, R. M. (2015). "The Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual Version 2 (PDM-2): Assessing Patients for Improved Clinical Practice and Research." Psychoanalytic Psychology. 32(1): 94–115. doi:10.1037/a0038546.
* Gordon, R. M.; Stoffey, R. W. (2014). "Operationalizing the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual: A Preliminary Study of the Psychodiagnostic Chart (PDC)." Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. 78(1): 1–15. doi:10.1521/bumc.2014.78.1.1.
* Gordon, R. M.; Bornstein, R. F. (2012). "A Practical Tool to Integrate and Operationalize the PDM with the ICD or DSM". http://www.mmpi-info.com/pdm-blog.
* Gordon, R. M., Stoffey, R., & Bottinelli, J. (2008). "MMPI-2 Findings of Primitive Defenses in Alienating Parents". The American Journal of Family Therapy. 36 (3): 211–228. doi:10.1080/01926180701643313.
* Gordon, R. M. (2001). "MMPI/MMPI-2 Changes in Long-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy". Psychoanalytic Psychology. 23(1–2), 59–79.
* Gordon, R. M. (1976). "Effects of Volunteering and Perceived Responsibility on Treatment Outcomes". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 44(5), 799-801. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.44.5.799.
* Gordon, R. M. (1975). "Effects of Interpersonal and Economic Resources Upon Values and the Quality of Life." Dissertation Abstracts International. 36: 3122B. (University Microfilms No. 75–28, 220).