fun facts about leon festinger

"Festinger, 1980, p. 237, After graduating, Festinger worked as a research associate at Iowa from 1941 to 1943, and then as a statistician for the Committee on Selection and Training of Aircraft Pilots at the University of Rochester from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. (Eds.). Pathogenic Protists Diseases & Examples | What are Diseases Caused by Protists? Cognitive dissonance comes into play when people try to reconcile the conflicting behaviors or ideas. Cognitive Dissonance in Psychology: Theory, Examples & Definition, Impression Management: Festinger's Study of Cognitive Dissonance, Post-Decision Dissonance & Counterattitudinal Advocacy. However, those who were only paid $1 to lie had to justify this some other way, in order to reduce the dissonance of both lying and receiving little reward. What would it take for you to change them? Milite, George A. WebThe Seekers were the subject of the book When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger, in which Laughead was given the pseudonym Dr. Armstrong and Martin the name Marian Keech. Gruber, H., K. R. Hammond, and R. Jessor. Informal social communication. He received his bachelor's degree from City College of New York and went on to Iowa State University for his master's degree and his Ph.D. (which he received in 1942). Historian of psychology Edwin G. Boring (1964) went so far as to parallel Festingers studies of cognitive dissonance with the condition of the scientist, instancing occasion after occasion where the scientist persists and perseveres in the face of cognitive dissonance. psychology, psychology of personality, social psychology. After reading literature on cancer, speaking with medical experts, and evaluating the possible side effects of treatment, he decided not to obtain treatment for himself. Leon Festinger was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 8 May 1919 to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Alex Festinger and Sara Solomon Festinger. He is also known in social network theory for the proximity effect (or propinquity).Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950, Festinger studied psychology under Kurt Lewin, an important figure in modern social psychology, at the University of Iowa, graduating in 1941.American, 1959, p. 784 However, he did not develop an interest in social psychology until after joining the faculty at Lewins Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1945.Festinger, 1980, p. 237 Despite his preeminence in social psychology, Festinger turned to visual perception research in 1964 and then archaeology and history in 1979 until his death in 1989.Aronson, 1991, p. 216, Festinger was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 8, 1919 to Russian-Jewish immigrants Alex Festinger and Sara Solomon Festinger. Obituary: Leon Festinger. European Journal of Social Psychology, 19, no. But this group actually did not change their attitude much, maintaining that it was boring. Some scholars consider this important since they doubt that people compare all of their abilities and opinions to those of others. Leon Festinger and James M. Carlsmith's experiment was a cognitive dissonance experiment about forced compliance. Gazzaniga, M. S. Leon Festinger: Lunch with Leon. Perspectives on Psychological Science 1, no. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger, The New York Times. Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Interestingly, the students who had been paid one dollar stated that they actually did find the tasks enjoyable. a principle he perhaps most famously practiced when personally infiltrating a doomsday cult. psychology, psychology of personality, humanistic psychology. Throughout Festingers research there runs the common thread of calculated tension between alternatives or contrary forces, which impel a change in thinking, feeling, or behavior (Zukier, 1989, p. xvii). For example, in one study, college students who often engage in risky sexual behaviors were asked to prepare and give a speech on the importance of safe sex. (2016). Sanderson, C. A. The role of group belongingness in a voting situation. The groups prophetess, Dorothy Martin (alias Mrs. Keech), foretold of the world ending on 21 December 1954. WebRecall that Leon Festinger and J. Merrill Carlsmith (1959) paid participants either $1 or $20 to tell another person that a boring, tedious task was really fun and interesting. He continued his research on cognitive dissonance as well as other behavioral issues. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. With customary dynamism, Festinger sought out colleagues in his new fields of interest, much as he drew together colleagues and students in his years of experimental research, including, during his early years, the well-remembered Tuesday Night Meeting or the Lewin-style Quasselstrippe, weekly meetings wholly given to collaborating on research (Patnoe, 1988). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Perhaps one of the greatest impacts of Festingers studies lies in their "depict [ion] of social behavior as the responses of a thinking organism continually acting Cognitive dissonance was first investigated by Leon Festinger, arising out of a participant observation study of a cult that believed that the earth was going to be Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you He is best known for developing cognitive dissonance theory and social comparison theory. (2011). It has inspired works of fiction and stimulated research in other disciplines, including religious studies, political science, economics, sociology, legal theory, and philosophy of science. When individuals become aware of a glaring inconsistency between their attitudes and actionsthat is, their own hypocrisythe resulting discomfort acts as a powerful motivator for behavior change. Festinger was born on May 8, 1919 in Brooklyn New York to his After leaving Boys High School, Festinger enrolled at the City College of New York. Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. What is Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences? Leon Festinger. In his The Making of Psychology: Discussions with Creative Contributors. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956. The methodology of studying rumor transmission. Leon Festinger, 69, new school professor. Drakopoulos, S. A. Despite its broad appeal, Festingers work has been dogged by controversy. . Would you feel uncomfortable if you encountered information that seriously challenged some of these beliefs? Festinger, L. (1961). Hochberg, J., & Festinger, L. (1979). London: Macat International Ltd. So how did Festinger test this out? Retrieved April 27, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/festinger-leon. The cult members (who had previously avoided publicity) immediately began a vigorous campaign to attract new recruits and media attention by describing how they had saved the world. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983. Social comparison has also been employed as a strategy for improving study habits. WebWhat were Festinger's hypotheses on how dissonance could be reduced? He read the literature, spoke with the WebLeon Festinger (1919-1989) Leon Festinger was a 20th century psychologist who developed the theories of cognitive dissonance and social comparison. about their environment and their personalities. Leon Festinger | Biographical Memoirs: Volume 64 |The National This attention to what transpires in-between inputs and outputs also revealed Lewins influence in attention to a psychological representation of reality in individual consciousness, relations of one person to another or group and the environment (Zukier, 1989, p. xiii). When we notice that another individual is better than we are in a particular area of ability, we attempt to improve our performance level. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996. Festinger and Carlsmith theorized that the group who was paid $20 didn't really need to justify why they had lied; they were paid a lot of money to do it! Festinger also did work on statistics, and, in his own words, even strayed to doing a study using laboratory rats (Festinger, 1980, p. 237). 2023 . Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. For abilities, observing those with similar abilities allows people to learn what actions they are capable of. ." Emotional disruption and industrial productivity. Building collaborative networks among psychologists and graduate students went beyond the United States as Festinger created and directed the Committee of Transnational Social Psychology, and participated in its Summer Schools at which young scholars received training and at which were held scientific colloquia. In fact, we're sensitive to this, and it tends to have some kind of effect on us. In addition to the faculty mentioned above, there were several outstanding graduate studentsKurt Back, Morton Deutsch, Harold Kelley, Albert Pepitone, Stanley Schachter, and John Thibaut who would become defining figures in the field of social psychology. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson, 1957. Another criticism of Festingers social comparison theory is that it does not specify the range and boundaries of social comparison. Critics have also debated whether social comparison is primarily about self-evaluation, as Festinger suggests, or is more a matter of self-validation. Neither had one of social psychologys more recognized researchers studied social psychology, as Festinger often noted with similar irony: I had never had a course in social psychology. It has since evolved into an online blog and YouTube channel providing mental health advice, tools, and academic support to individuals from all backgrounds. As a result of these changes, behavior might also change. Social psychology and group processes. However, dissonance reduction does not always happen. The actual subjects tried to persuade the other discussion partners. Leon Festinger was a prominent American social psychologist. Sometimes there is no way to come to terms with conflicting information. WebIn 1957 Leon Festinger developed a theory that refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors which produces a feeling of discomfort which in turn makes the person alternate one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to rid the discomfort. Festinger, L. (1946). Leons father, an embroidery manufacturer, had left Russia an atheist and a radical, and he remained faithful to these convictions throughout his life. One was Clark Hulls Hypnosis and Suggestibility (1933), which Festinger recalled discovering while scouting out books in various sciences in the library. Cohen, David. Festinger (Leon Festinger Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.). This upward drive is a motivation to keep performing better and better, and it leads to ability comparisons with similar individuals who are slightly more capable than we are. By convincing themselves that the tasks they performed were not all that boring, they could rationalize having gone through what was essentially a waste of their time. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Cognitive dissonance may well serve as his signature in social psychology and as a marker of ideas prevalent in postWorld War II psychology. Retinal image smear as a source of information about magnitude of eye-movement. 'target="_blank">

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