Zick Rubin
Encyclopedia
Isaac Michael "Zick" Rubin (born 1944) is an American
social psychologist, lawyer
, and author
. He is "widely credited as the author of the first empirical measurement of love," for his work distinguishing feelings of like
from feelings of love
via Rubin's Scales of Liking and Loving. Science Progress stated, "The major breakthrough in research on love came from the pioneer psychometric work of Zick Rubin."
He has also published on disclosing to consequential strangers
. According to The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships, Rubin "conducted influential early studies on disclosure reciprocity in naturalistic settings, such as in airport departure lounges and at bus stops." His work also examined the development of friendship among toddlers.
degree from Yale University
in 1965 and a Ph.D. from University of Michigan
in 1969.
In the 1980s, Rubin entered Harvard Law School
, earning his law degree and being admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1988.
In the 2001 edition of The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology, Rubin was listed as having died in 1997. In 2011 he wrote a New York Times op-ed
about his attempts to correct the error after it had been repeated in a Wikia
profile about him.
in 1969. He was director of the Boston Couples Study, described by the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships as "a pioneering longitudinal study
" that integrated multiple research methods as it followed the development of relationships over time. Rubin taught at Harvard University
from 1967 to 1976 and was the Louis and Frances Salvage Professor of Social Psychology at Brandeis University
from 1977 to 1985 before entering law school.
Rubin defended tax-funded work on love after Senator William Proxmire
criticized the use of National Science Foundation
funding on studies of love at Harvard, the University of Minnesota
, and University of Wisconsin. In 1975, Proxmire had named psychologist Ellen Berscheid of University of Minnesota as recipient of his first Golden Fleece Award
for her work on love. Proxmire called it "a futile and wasteful attempt to explain the impossible." Rubin defended his colleagues, saying Proxmire was "taking advantage of the fact that it is easy to trivialize and sensationalize such matters as these."
Rubin sued Boston Magazine
for copyright infringement
after they copied the questions from his liking and loving scales without permission in a 1977 article. He won the case in 1981 and prevailed on appeal.
, trademark
, media
, and higher education.
Rubin is a member of the Copyright Society of the United States, the Authors Guild, the Text and Academic Authors Association, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
social psychologist, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is "widely credited as the author of the first empirical measurement of love," for his work distinguishing feelings of like
Reciprocal liking
Reciprocal liking is a psychological term to describe the phenomenon of people tending to better like those people who like them. It reflects the notion that people feel better about themselves knowing that they are likable and enjoy the company of those who give them positive feelings...
from feelings of love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
via Rubin's Scales of Liking and Loving. Science Progress stated, "The major breakthrough in research on love came from the pioneer psychometric work of Zick Rubin."
He has also published on disclosing to consequential strangers
Consequential strangers
Consequential strangers are personal connections other than family and close friends. Also known as "peripheral" or "weak" ties, they lie in the broad social territory between strangers and intimates . The term was coined by Purdue University professor Karen L...
. According to The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships, Rubin "conducted influential early studies on disclosure reciprocity in naturalistic settings, such as in airport departure lounges and at bus stops." His work also examined the development of friendship among toddlers.
Life and education
Rubin earned a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1965 and a Ph.D. from University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1969.
In the 1980s, Rubin entered Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, earning his law degree and being admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1988.
In the 2001 edition of The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology, Rubin was listed as having died in 1997. In 2011 he wrote a New York Times op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
about his attempts to correct the error after it had been repeated in a Wikia
Wikia
Wikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
profile about him.
Social psychology
Rubin won the Socio-psychological Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
in 1969. He was director of the Boston Couples Study, described by the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships as "a pioneering longitudinal study
Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study is a correlational research study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time — often many decades. It is a type of observational study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the...
" that integrated multiple research methods as it followed the development of relationships over time. Rubin taught at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
from 1967 to 1976 and was the Louis and Frances Salvage Professor of Social Psychology at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
from 1977 to 1985 before entering law school.
Rubin defended tax-funded work on love after Senator William Proxmire
William Proxmire
Edward William Proxmire was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 to 1989.-Personal life:...
criticized the use of National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
funding on studies of love at Harvard, the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, and University of Wisconsin. In 1975, Proxmire had named psychologist Ellen Berscheid of University of Minnesota as recipient of his first Golden Fleece Award
Golden Fleece Award
The Golden Fleece Award is presented to those public officials in the United States whom the judges feel waste public money.Established in 1975 by former U.S. Senator William Proxmire , and issued until 1988, it was revived by the Advisory Board of the Taxpayers for Common Sense in 2000...
for her work on love. Proxmire called it "a futile and wasteful attempt to explain the impossible." Rubin defended his colleagues, saying Proxmire was "taking advantage of the fact that it is easy to trivialize and sensationalize such matters as these."
Rubin sued Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
after they copied the questions from his liking and loving scales without permission in a 1977 article. He won the case in 1981 and prevailed on appeal.
Law
Rubin was a lawyer at Palmer & Dodge LLP and then at Hill & Barlow before opening The Law Office of Zick Rubin in 2003. He specializes in legal issues related to copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
, media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, and higher education.
Rubin is a member of the Copyright Society of the United States, the Authors Guild, the Text and Academic Authors Association, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.