Margaret Thaler Singer

Margaret Singer
Margaret Thaler Singer
Born	(1921-07-29)July 29, 1921 Denver, Colorado
Died	November 23, 2003(2003-11-23) (aged 82) Berkeley, California
Fields	clinical psychology
Institutions	American Family Foundation, Cult Awareness Network
Alma mater	University of Denver, B.A., M.S. University of Denver, PhD
Doctoral students	Jesse S. Miller, PhD
Known for	Cults in Our Midst, Crazy Therapies

Margaret Thaler Singer (1921–2003) was a clinical psychologist and researcher with her colleague Lyman Wynne of family communication. She was a prominent figure in the study of undue influence in social and religious contexts.

Singer's main areas of research included schizophrenia, family therapy, brainwashing and coercive persuasion. In the 1960s she began to study the nature of social and religious group influence and mind control, and sat as a board member of the American Family Foundation and as an advisory board member of the Cult Awareness Network. She was the co-author of the book Cults in Our Midst.

Singer was born in Denver, Colorado. She received her BA and MS from the University of Denver. Singer received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 1943. After obtaining her PhD, Singer worked at the University of Colorado's School of Medicine's department of psychiatry for eight years.

In the scientific community, Singer was best known and respected for her studies in schizophrenia and family therapy. She conducted research with the National Institute of Mental Health, the United States Air Force, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Singer was a guest lecturer of psychology at UC Berkeley from 1964 to 1991, and she served as a faculty member and/or lecturer at other UC campuses as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Rochester, and other institutions.