Martin L. Hoffman was an American psychologist and a professor emeritus of clinical and developmental psychology at New York University.[1]
In his career, Hoffman is primarily focused on development of empathy and its relationship with moral development,[2] which he defines as "people's consideration for others."[3] His research also touches on areas such as empathic anger, sympathy, guilt and feelings of injustice.[1]
Hoffman did his undergraduate studies at Purdue University, receiving a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1945. He earned a master's degree in psychology at the University of Michigan in 1947 and a PhD in social psychology at the University of Michigan in 1951.[1] In the 1960s, he became editor of the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, and oversaw its conversion from a newsletter to an academic journal.[4]
He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Society.[1]