Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Half the group was offered a $1 bill; the rest were offered a $20 bill. Festinger, Leon. Abnormal Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Intro to Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, ILTS Social Science - Psychology (248) Prep, Human Growth and Development: Tutoring Solution, Human Growth and Development: Homework Help Resource, UExcel Social Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Introduction to Educational Psychology: Certificate Program, Educational Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Research Methods in Psychology: Help and Review, Introduction to Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Create an account to start this course today. Festinger, L., & Maccoby, N. (1964). 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. However, dissonance reduction does not always happen. With forty years of experimental psychology research behind him, Festinger closed his laboratory and turned to till new fields of inquiryanthropology, archaeology, and historyto wrestle with a larger question of what makes humans human, a quest of the origins of human societies and culture. For that reason, reference to Festingers revolutionary approach should be placed within the broader debate on theory and research. As Festinger himself recalls, "the years at M.I.T. Hertzman, M., & Festinger, L. (1940). Finally, we could change how you remember the situation that caused dissonance. https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/festinger-leon, Milite, George A. ALLPORT, GORDON WILLARD (b. Brooklyn, New York, 8 May 1919; d. New York, New York, 11 February 1989). Festinger was interested in how the group would respond to the discrepancy between their beliefs and the failed prophecy of an apocalypse. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Cartwright, D., & Festinger, L. (1943). An error occurred trying to load this video. Renowned social psychologist, Leon Festinger, and his research team (1954) became interested in this case and decided to infiltrate and study the group to see (1951). Handbook of social psychology, vol 1, Theory and method, vol 2, Special fields and applications. Leon Festinger, the creator of a revolutionary experiment Festinger was an American social psychologist who was born in New York in 1919. Leon Festinger (8 May 1919 11 February 1989) was an American social psychologist, perhaps best known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison The centre was committed to the application of psychological concepts and methods to solve social problems, and it attracted many talented students, including Stanley Schachter and Harold Kelley. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. On arriving in Iowa, however, Festinger discovered Lewins main interest had turned to social psychology and groups, even though he continued to pursue his ideas on life spaces, forces, and tension systems. https://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug02/eminent, 40+ Famous Psychologists (Images + Biographies), Cognitive Dissonance (Definition + Examples), Social Comparison Theory Leon Festinger (Definition + Examples). In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festingers third landmark publication, he hypothesized that any two bits of knowledge held by an individual could have three relationships to one another: they could be irrelevant to one another, consonant if one follows from the other, or dissonant if the obverse of one follows from the other. "Festinger, Leon The theory of cognitive dissonance was first published in 1957. He then turned his attention to early human history, producing a book, The Human Legacy (1983), in which he analyzed human problem solving and adaptation. 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Suddenly, the leader claimed to have received another message from the Guardians stating that the world had been saved because of the force of good and light that had been spread by the group. In 1951 Festinger moved to a tenure-track position at the University of Minnesota, where Schachter was already on the faculty. Interested in science at a young age, he decided to pursue a career in psychology. He is best known for developing cognitive dissonance theory and social comparison theory. Festinger continued his work at Stanford until 1968 when he returned to New York City to assume the Else and Hans Staudinger professorship at the New School for Social Research. The premise of their study was to better understand what happens to someone's personal beliefs when they are forced to comply with something contrary to their beliefs. These types of quizzes help people to determine how they measure up to others or to what the editor says is desirable. Festinger was born in Brooklyn New York on May 8, 1919 to Russian-Jewish immigrants Alex Festinger and Sara Solomon Festinger. His father, an embroidery manufacturer, had "left Russia a radical and atheist and remained faithful to these views throughout his life." People living in nearby areas, who felt the shock but experienced no ill-effects, began spreading rumors that even worse disasters would come upon their villages. Controversy also surrounded Festingers complex experimental laboratory situationsaimed, as he argued, toward making them real for subjects. "Festinger, Leon Komoda, M. K., Festinger, L., & Sherry, J. Ideas on balance and imbalance, or consonance and dissonance, marked the age and its preoccupations with homeostatic processes. Looking Backward. In Retrospections on Social Psychology. 1919-1989 American psychologist who developed the concept of cognitive dissonance. When his first marriage ended in divorce, Festinger married his second wife, Trudy Bradley, a professor at the New York University School of Social Work. Festinger, L., & Hutte, H. A. Let's say you believe animals and people are equal and should be treated with the same respect. The discomfort you might feel by acting in a way that goes against something you believe in is cognitive dissonance. Omissions? An empirical test of a quantitative theory of decision. Many of the studies supporting the theory have been conducted in artificial lab environments which limits their application to real-life situations. WebIn 1988 Festinger became ill with a cancer that had metastasized to the liver and the lungs. A theoretical interpretation of shifts in level of aspiration. The group paid $20 maintained that the experiment was boring. His theory of cognitive Festinger's research resulted in a number of interesting findings. Many aspects of the theory are difficult to observe and assess objectively. 'border="1" width="20" height="20"><\/a>') . Social comparison theory posited that people evaluate their abilities and opinions by comparing them with those of others when it is not feasible to test them directly. To test the theory, Festinger and his students conducted a series of laboratory experiments. This lay use of the term became popular, even though the conditions necessary for the occurrence of the state defined in the theory may not have been met in the situation to which the term was applied. He then entered the University of Iowa, where he studied with the German-born social psychologist Kurt Lewin and obtained a Ph.D. in 1942. The theory of cognitive dissonance has been used to increase health-promoting and other desirable behaviors. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Festinger, L. (1947a). Festinger wrote several books on his landmark research. Dein, S. What Really Happens When Prophecy Fails: The Case of Lubavitch. Sociology of Relgion 62, no. On joining Lewin, along with Ronald Lippitt, Dorwin Cartwright, and Marian Radke, Festinger devoted himself to the field of social psychology. They also socialized more with residents who lived closer to them on the same floor (e.g., those living next door), than with those who lived further away. (Eds.). My graduate education did nothing to cure that. We can do this by changing our actions, changing our beliefs, or by changing our perception of a situation that caused dissonance. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Festinger, L. (1943e). Meet 5 of the Worlds Computer Programming Prodigies, 7 of the Best-Performing Cryptocurrencies and their Founders. Another criticism of Festingers social comparison theory is that it does not specify the range and boundaries of social comparison. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Whereas the experimental laboratory research into cognitive dissonance was also met with forceful critical analysis of its methodological shortcomings (Chapanis & Chapanis, 1964), the original real-world study was, in contrast, quite remarked upon as a far more illuminating and provocative account of it than mere natural history description would be likely to have given us (Smith, 1957, p. 90). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1957. A. Dissonance reduction frequently relies on rationalization or confirmation bias. He earned his bachelors degree in psychology in 1939 under the guidance of Max Hertzman. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2006.t01-3-.x?journalCode=ppsa. He believed the field lacked scientific rigor, hard data, and clarity. ';s'+screen.width+'*'+screen.height+'*'+(screen.colorDepth? Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1959. American Psychologist 14, no. In contrast, social comparison theory emphasized how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities against those of others. Festinger, L., & Canon, L. K. (1965). Initially, much communication was directed at the deviate, but communication declined when the deviate proved impossible to convince, and the deviate was nominated for the most undesirable club assignments. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. He was also active in professional organizations including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Festinger and his students were creative in finding applications for the theory and in devising incisive experiments to test their predictions. Groups (or clubs) were formed of previously unacquainted individuals who were asked to discuss various issues. 27 Apr. In 1968, Festinger married New York University professor Trudy Bradley. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/4547/chapter/5, Suls, J. Festinger, L., Cartwright, D., Barber, K., Fleischl, J., Gottsdanker, J., Keysen, A., & Leavitt, G. (1948). Social psychology and group processes. 2023 . 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. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger, The New York Times. Hoffman, P. J., Festinger, L., & Lawrence, D. H. (1954). 4 (1989): 263269. Popularized and part of everyday utterance, cognitive dissonances cultural resonance has been both so vast and so deep as to prompt reference to early twenty-first-century America as an age of dissonance.. Some of the arguments that have been raised against it are: In social comparison theory, Festinger suggested that people compare themselves to similar others but he did not state the basis of that similarity. Sometimes there is no way to come to terms with conflicting information. Hovland, Carl I. Festinger, L. (1959a). Another way would be to change our action. Holtzman, J. D., Sedgwick, H. A., & Festinger, L. (1978). In 1945, Festinger moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to join Kurt Lewins Research Center for Group Dynamics as an assistant professor. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Maslow, Abraham These theories ." It refers to the discomfort we feel when we act in a way that contradicts our beliefs, encounter information that challenge our beliefs, or hold competing beliefs simultaneously. People want to be slightly better than everyone else because the desire to be better or to improve is emphasized in Western cultures. Within two years of its publication, research studies on cognitive dissonance began to fill journals of experimental social psychology, and after a decade, reached three hundred separate, published, theoretical, critical and/or research publications (Margolis, 1969, p. 923). Laboratory Experiments. In Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences, edited by Leon Festinger and Daniel Katz. Critics have also debated whether social comparison is primarily about self-evaluation, as Festinger suggests, or is more a matter of self-validation. The same principle has been used to reduce littering, speeding and prejudiced responses, and to promote water conservation, recycling, and charitable donations. According to Festinger, humans have a strong desire for consistency among cognitive elements. Second, once we become aware of this inconsistency, it will cause dissonance and, depending on how uncomfortable we are, we'll work to resolve this dissonance. Trends in Cognitive Theory. In Contemporary Approaches to Cognition, edited by H. Gruber, K. R. Hammond, and R. Jessor. Festinger infiltrated the Seekers with the goal of studying their cognitive reactions and coping mechanisms when their beliefs failed, a thought-process which Festinger A study of rumor transition: Its origin and spread. Bob decides not to drink anymore beer because he thinks it is unhealthy. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/12/obituaries/leon-festinger-69-new-school-professor.html. 255 lessons. Create your account, 13 chapters | In addition, physiological measures suggested that the patients actually experienced less pain. From the Westgate housing study came Festingers formulation on informal communication and social comparison processes, especially what Festinger called a pressure toward uniformity, or the tendency of individuals to compare and then align opinions with those whose views are closer to ones own. In composing his theory, Festinger noted a major distinction between comparisons of abilities and opinions. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956. Impact of oculomotor retraining on visual-perception of curvature. WebSocial comparison theory was first proposed by Leon Festinger in 1954 and states that individuals are continually evaluating themselves in order to assess their own standing on a wide range of characteristics. Social comparison theory has also been applied in several ways, a few of which are mentioned below: Cognitive dissonance theory remains one of the most popular theories in social psychology, but it is not without its critics. ." According to Festinger, the villagers naturally became anxious and terrified after learning of the extreme devastation in neighboring areas. When Prophecy Fails. . - Definition & Exercises, Cognitive-Behavior Modification Approach by Meichenbaum, Embodied Cognition: Definition, Theory & Experiments, Cognitive Inhibition: Definition & Example, Cognitive Psychotherapy: Types & Techniques, Collective Memory: Definition, History & Theory, Diminished Capacity in Psychology: Definition & Examples, Memory Reconsolidation: Definition, Theory & Example, Memory Span: Definition, Measurement & Examples, Memory Suppression: Definition & Techniques, What is Lateral Thinking? Cohen, David. The analysis of sociograms using matrix algebra. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. An Experimental Test of a Theory of Decision. PhD diss., State University of Iowa, 1942. Festinger infiltrated the Seekers in 1953 so he could observe the group up close. Practical Psychology began as a collection of study material for psychology students in 2016, created by a student in the field. I. These include the magnitude of dissonance and the modification of cognitive elements. He suggested that in the case of abilities, humans possess a unidirectional drive upward which does not apply to opinions. The extent to which a person changes, however, depends on several factors, namely the importance and relevance of the comparison group, and how attracted the individual is to that group. First, Festinger suggested that people are aware when our beliefs and our actions are inconsistent. You might think that the subjects who were paid $20 would be more inclined to say the experiment was interesting, even though they had not enjoyed it, since they were given a lot more money. After Lewins death in 1947, the Research Center for Group Dynamics, with most of its remaining faculty, moved to the University of Michigan. Their study of Westgate housing offered a social ecology of group and friendship formation; people living close to or coming into frequent informal contact with one another (mail room, stairwell, etc.) Jeremy Varon: Bringing the War Home: The Weather Underground, the Red Army Faction, and Revolutionary Violence in the Sixties and Seventies. American Historical Review 110, no. For his dissertation, Schachter, under Festingers direction, placed accomplices in groups. He attended Boys High School in Brooklyn and was a very good student. Cognitive dissonance. WebWhat were Festinger's hypotheses on how dissonance could be reduced? The smaller the functional distance, the more likely it is that people will bump into one another. In Festingers study, the impact of functional distance was seen from the fact that lower floor residents who lived next to the stairway were more likely than other lower floor residents. Subsequently, Festingers research interests became focused on different issues. Coren, S., & Festinger, L. (1967). Learn about Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance, read the cognitive dissonance experiment, and see examples. Festinger, L. (1942b). The appeal for Festinger was thus both with Lewins ideas and with his exquisite articulation of the relation between theory and the empirical world, an interest underlying Festingers attraction to science: You have very strict ground rules in science and your ideas have to check out with the empirical world (Cohen, 1977, p. 133). Leon Festinger was a prominent American social psychologist. The old man had been part of that great emigration of East European Jews in To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Festinger, L. (1947b). Festinger was recognized in 1959 with the American Psychological Associations Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award for his theory and research on social behavior as arising from a thinking organism continually acting to bring order into his world (Boring, Cronbach, Crutchfield, et al., 1959, p. 784). . Persuasive technology: Using computers to change what we think and do. Achieving similarity with others (i.e., fitting in) makes us more confident about our own opinions and abilities. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. In the late 1950s, two psychologists, Leon Festinger and James M. Carlsmith, did a cognitive dissonance experiment on what they called forced compliance. Social comparison theory may be used to improve pain management in patients. He was asked to conduct a study on how satisfied MIT students were with their on-campus housing. psychology, psychology of personality, humanistic psychology. FAMpeople is your site which contains biographies of famous people of the past and present. Festinger, L. (1952). He was born in Brooklyn New York City on May 8, 1919. At least two significant influences steered Festingers interests as an undergraduate. Leon Festinger (8 May 1919 11 February 1989) was an American social psychologist, perhaps best known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory. Behaviorists focused only on the observable, i.e., behavior and external rewards, with no reference to cognitive or emotional processes.Zukier, 1989, pp. Dissonance, Hypocrisy, and the Self-Concept. In Cognitive Dissonance, edited by Eddie Harmon-Jones and Judson Mills, 103126. The methodology of studying rumor transmission. Such pressures should be greater in attractive groups and increase as an issue becomes more relevant to a groups goals. (2002). I feel like its a lifeline. The leader of the group claimed to be receiving messages from extraterrestrials called the Guardians. At that time, Festinger was not interested in social psychology at all. This group needed to change their attitude to fit their behavior, reducing their cognitive dissonance. Foreword. But the influence of the theory of cognitive dissonance and the original study of the millennialist group has been far more extensive than numbers alone can convey. In addition to physical distance, Festinger and his colleagues found that functional distance also predicted friendship formation. He is well known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory. Chapanis, N. P., and A. Chapanis. . Alex Festinger worked as an embroidery manufacturer. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1962. Accordingly, social psychology needed its own experimental approach. Festinger, under the supervision of Max Hertzman, conducted a study of levels of aspiration, which they published together in 1940 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/festinger-leon, "Festinger, Leon His most popular works are listed below: Leon Festinger married pianist Mary Oliver Ballou in 1943. SEE ALSO Aronson, Elliot; Attitudes; Cognitive Dissonance; Lewin, Kurt; Social Comparison. Festinger, L. (1951). Studies in decision: I. Decision-time, relative frequency of judgment and subjective confidence as related to physical stimulus difference. Close proximity or propinquity was thus found to be key to small group and/or friendship formation. Then, in 1968, he moved back east to take a position at the New School for Social Research, where he briefly continued his research in perception before changing his field once more to archaeology and history. When a prophecy fails, it will be downplayed and 'explained' > lead to more recruiting and conversion. (1953). Within psychology, Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been heralded as revolutionizing the way social psychologists think about human behavior (Aronson, 1999). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger, The National Academies Press - Biographical Memoirs - Leon Festinger, MLibrary Digital Collections - Bentley Historical Library - Leon Festinger papers: 1939-1988, GoodTherapy - Biography of Leon Festinger. Bruner, J. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. Festingers work on dissonance theory was the target of a number of critiques in the early 1960s. Obituary: Leon Festinger. European Journal of Social Psychology, 19, no. Leon Festinger. In her A Narrative History of Experimental Social Psychology. (1954). Leon Festinger. Biographical Memoirs 64 (1994): 99110. Discussion. In Contemporary Approaches to Cognition, edited by H. Gruber, K. R. Hammond, and R. Jessor. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson, 1957. Bob drinks a beer, and to deal with the cognitive dissonance of going against his beliefs, he decides it is okay to drink beers when with friends. Essentially, Festinger explained, all people hold certain beliefs, and when they are asked to do something that runs counter to their beliefs, conflict arises. Leon and Mary divorced years later. Half of the subjects were paid $1 to do this, and half were paid $20 to do this. (2003). The results of their experiment demonstrated that inadequate external justification can lead to Festinger was born in New York City, on May 8, 1919, to Alex Festinger and Sara Solomon. Festinger became ill with liver and lung cancer in 1988. 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. They paid volunteers either one dollar or twenty dollars to lie about a boring task being fun. And they were specific! Inconsistency in cognition: Cognitive dissonance. Wednesday 27 October 2021 American psychologist Leon Festinger was born in 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. ." A man with a conviction is a hard man to change. 1957. Festinger was born on May 8, 1919 in Brooklyn New York to his New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2006). Following his 1983 publication of The Human Legacy, Festinger pursued questions in the history of religion, moving outside his field once more to medieval and Byzantine history. A statistical test for means of samples from skew populations. WebLeon Festinger was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 8, 1919. . In one study, patients who were exposed to others who were managing their pain well reported feeling less pain. WebBiography Leon Festinger was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 8, 1919. He continued his research on cognitive dissonance as well as other behavioral issues. EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE POWER OF DISSONANCE. The mode was readily accepted, as was the slider after adopting the majority view. All of us have experienced cognitive dissonance at some point in our lives. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Leons father, an embroidery manufacturer, had left Russia an atheist and a radical, and he remained faithful to these convictions throughout his life. Festinger, L. (1943b). College students were asked to perform a series of repetitive menial tasks for a specified period of time. The group paid only $1, though, had to change their attitude to fit their behavior in order to reduce the cognitive dissonance of not only lying but also being paid very little to do so. In the study, undergraduate students of Introductory Psychology at Stanford University were asked to take part of a series of experiments. Please select which sections you would like to print: Professor Emeritus, Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City. Milite, George A. His theorys counterintuitive predictions held great appeal. Festingers initial interest in social psychology was sparked by accident. Yet, you sometimes prepare and eat meat. Festinger, L. (1954). (April 27, 2023). 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.
