Final answer:
Gender discrimination and limited opportunities were the primary reasons for the scarcity of women's contributions to psychology in the early 20th century. Pioneers like Margaret Floy Washburn and Mary Whiton Calkins overcame these barriers, and feminist psychology arose to challenge the biases present in the discipline.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main reason women made few contributions to psychology in the first part of the 20th century is because of gender discrimination and limited opportunities. Women faced major hurdles in the academic and professional fields due to societal norms and institutional barriers.
Margaret Floy Washburn and Mary Whiton Calkins were pioneers who made notable contributions to psychology despite these challenges. Washburn was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in psychology and wrote an influential textbook, while Calkins, denied a Ph.D. by Harvard, conducted substantial research in memory and psychology.
The establishment of feminist psychology was a response to the male-dominated field, with efforts to address and correct biases within the discipline. By the mid-20th century, women began to have a larger presence in psychology, evidenced by the election of Calkins as the first female president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the increased number of female psychologists by 1946.
Despite the barriers, women continued to pursue their interests and leveraged their qualifications, with higher education institutions beginning a slow progression toward gender equality. The research and theories developed by these women provided valuable perspectives that enhanced the field of psychology.