Jerome M. Sattler, Ph.D.

Jerome M. Sattler, Ph.D. the younger of two sons, was born on March 3, 1931, in the Bronx, New York, to Nathan and Pearl Sattler. His parents, both of the orthodox Jewish faith, immigrated to the United States from Poland in the early 1920s. Sattler attended Public School 77, James Monroe High School, and the City College of New York (CCNY). At CCNY, his teachers included Gardner Murphy, Kenneth Clark, and Herbert Birch. His brother, Paul Sattler, was a pharmacist. Sattler had four children—Heidi, David, Deborah, and Keith—and six grandchildren, Nicole, Justin, Audrey, Ammaarah, Katelyn, and Henry.

In 2023, he received the 2024 ABPP Distinguished Service to the Profession Award. He was a co-author of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition and served as an expert witness in Larry P. v. Wilson Riles, a well-known case involving cultural bias of intelligence tests.

Six of Sattler's textbooks have been translated into Spanish, and an abbreviated version of Assessment of Children: Behavioral, Social, and Clinical Foundations, Fifth Edition, has been translated into Chinese. Sattler published over 100 journal articles and gave 295 speeches, workshops, and webinars.

Little did he realize when he started out 64 years ago that Assessment of Children would consume a good part of his professional and personal life. And little did he realize that the book would go through seven editions, train over 400,000 students and professionals, be referred to as "the bible" of assessment, and be rated by his fellow psychologists as one of the 50 great books in psychology. He was honored, gratified, and humbled by the recognition that Assessment of Children received over the past 50 years.

Dr. Sattler's work is characterized by:

• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy
• Comprehensive coverage of assessment topics
• Practical guidance for real-world application
• Clear, accessible writing style
• Extensive use of tables, checklists, and case examples

Awards and Recognition

American Board of Professional Psychology Distinguished Service Award (2024)

The American Board of Professional Psychology awarded Jerome M. Sattler the “Distinguished Service to the Profession” award for 2024.

"Your leadership and dedication will always be valued by those who you served, with whom you served, and by the profession of Psychology."

American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal for Life Achievement (2005)

In recognition of his exemplary contributions to the field of psychology, the American Psychological Foundation awarded Jerome M. Sattler, SDSU Emeritus Professor, the Gold Medal for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology. Dr. Sattler received the award during a special ceremony at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, August 2005, in Washington, D.C.

Award Citation

"For a lifetime of distinguished contributions to the application of psychological measurement to the assessment of children, and to the education of a legion of applied and research psychologists. Jerome M. Sattler's textbooks on child assessment are internationally recognized as among psychology's most influential resources, and his research on assessment has been exemplary. His name alone evokes good testing practice. He possesses a rare combination of intelligence, clarity of thought, flexibility, patience, creativity, and excellent writing ability. His contributions to the fields of clinical and school psychology have been unparalleled, and his work has indelibly benefited psychological science and practice."

Historical Significance

The American Psychological Foundation began giving Gold Medal Awards in 1956. The recipients during the early years of the award included Robert S. Woodworth, Edwin G. Boring, Gordon W. Allport, B. F. Skinner, and Gardner Murphy.

Jerry has many connections with former Gold Medal recipients:

• Kenneth B. Clark (1987) — Jerry's first psychology teacher at City College of New York in 1948
• Gardner Murphy (1972) — Jerry's teacher in a course on theories of personality at City College of New York
• Fritz Heider (1987) — Jerry's major professor at the University of Kansas who supervised his MA thesis and Ph.D. dissertation
• Robert Rosenthal (2003) — Hired Jerry as a professor at the University of North Dakota

Professional Accomplishments Recognized

Dr. Sattler was nationally known for his Assessment of Children books that have sold over 300,000 copies. Six editions have been translated into Spanish and a brief edition of his behavioral text focusing on interviewing and observations has been published in Chinese. He has also published more than 100 articles and monographs, and has given over 295 speeches, workshops, and symposia in the fields of clinical and school psychology. In addition, Sattler co-authored the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and served as a Fulbright lecturer in Malaysia from 1972-1973.