Gordon G. Gallup

Gordon G. Gallup Jr. (; March 24, 1941 – July 22, 2026) was an American psychologist and academic at the University at Albany's psychology department, known for his research in biopsychology.

Early life and education Gallup was born in Denver, Colorado, on March 24, 1941. He received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1968, after which he joined the faculty of the psychology department at Tulane University.

Career Gallup is best known for developing the mirror test, also called the mirror self-recognition test, or MSR, in 1970, which gauges self-awareness of animals. In 1975, Gallup moved to the University at Albany.

During his tenure at Tulane, Gallup also developed a research interest in tonic immobility, or "animal hypnosis," which he continued at the University at Albany. His later work on animal behavior focused on ethological approaches to the study of animal behavior under laboratory conditions, which he pursued with Susan Suarez in the 1980s.

From the 1990s onward, Gallup's research focused exclusively on human evolutionary psychology. Gallup's article entitled "Does Semen Have Antidepressant Properties?" attracted the attention of the media when it was published in 2002. Gallup commented, "I want to make it clear that we are not advocating that people abstain from using condoms. Clearly, an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease would more than offset any advantageous psychological effects of semen."

Death Gallup died in Albany, New York, on July 22, 2026, at the age of 85.

Publications