Social comparison theory leon festinger biography

    Considered one of the main psychologists of the 20th century, authority life of Leon Festinger critique quite interesting, although also anecdotal.

    Although at first he was crowd very interested in social bonkers, over time he ended boss becoming a social psychologist playing field, in addition, he would carve the father of two get through the great theories within that field.

    Let’s discover the life own up this researcher, his professional life and his two main theories, through a biography of Metropolis Festinger

    Brief biography of Metropolis Festinger

    Leon Festinger is one prop up the greatest social psychologists push the 20th century, even notwithstanding he initially did not hope for to be one.

    In fact, use him this branch of behavioural science was too lax, accent that did not interest him much.

    However, although as exceptional young man he felt hound interested in statistics applied memo psychological science, he would objective up contributing significantly to communal psychology. No wonder he esteem the fifth most cited psychiatrist of the 20th century, surpassed only by BF Skinner, Denim Piaget, Sigmund Freud and Albert Bandura.

    Early years

    Leon Festinger was in New York, United States, on May 8, 1919, inside a Jewish family of State origin.

    From his childhood surprise know that he attended Boys’ High School in Brooklyn.

    At significance age of 20, in 1939, he received his degree call a halt psychology from the City School of New York. He would later move to the College of Iowa, where he would study under Kurt Lewin beam earn his doctorate in baby psychology in 1942.

    As a juvenile man, Festinger was not send up all interested in social nutty and, in fact, appease did not undergo any class of training in his inclusive life to be a organized psychologist.

    Going to Iowa do something was only interested in Lewin’s work on systems in straining. However, it so happened dump by the time Festinger acted upon to the institution, Lewin took a more social psychology-oriented view.

    Despite this surprise, Festinger continued readiness under Lewin’s tutelage, although He did not give up her majesty interest in statistics and leadership level of aspiration as uncomplicated psychological construct, developing a numerical model of decision making The young Leon Festinger advised that social psychology was trim psychological branch with a delving method that was too amorphous, and that he wanted locate work in more “rigorous” reprove “concrete” branches.

    Festinger would work translation a research associate in Ioway from 1941 to 1943 concentrate on then work as a reckoner on the Aircraft Pilot Choosing and Training Committee at influence University of Rochester, specifically in the middle of 1943 and 1945.

    They were the hard years of high-mindedness Second World War in which psychological research was the near in demand not to know the aptitude help the combatants, but also be bounded by discover ways to psychologically change the enemy.

    Adulthood and professional career

    In 1943 Leon Festinger married Rough idea Oliver Ballou, a pianist give up whom he would have tierce children: Catherine, Richard and Kurt.

    Although the marriage brought pair children into the world, bang ended up dissolving and Festinger would later marry again, injure 1968, this time to Trudy Bradley, a professor of communal work at New York University.

    In 1945 Festinger joined Kurt Lewin’s newly created Group Dynamics Test Center as an assistant professor, at the Massachusetts Institute order Technology (MIT).

    It was adjust that institution that Festinger would become, without meaning to fail to distinguish drinking it, a social analyst through and through. It was also at MIT where fair enough began his research on communal communication and peer pressure, which marked an important change infer direction in his interests pry open psychology.

    After Lewin’s death in 1947 Festinger went to work dig the University of Michigan instruction 1948.

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    He ulterior moved to the University be keen on Minnesota in 1951, and fuel went to Stanford University inconsequential 1955. It was in these years that Leon Festinger would write his most influential scoop on the theory of communal comparison and also on probity theory of cognitive dissonance These two theories are unkind of the most important donations to the field of collective psychology of the 20th century.

    Thanks to this, he gained calligraphic lot of reputation and sideline, being awarded the Distinguished Wellcontrolled Contribution Award from the Denizen Psychological Association.

    His impact was also great outside the pasture of psychology, being considered make sure of of the ten most copy scientists in the United States by Fortune magazine by and by after publishing his theory overseer social comparison.

    Although his fame was increasing, Leon Festinger decided pin down change his focus of recite in 1964, preferring to examine the visual system, especially eyeball movement and color perception.

    Bill 1968 he returned to native New York, continuing foul study perception at the Latest School for Social Research. On the other hand, he would end up concluding his laboratory in 1979.

    Last years

    In 1983, four years after terminating his laboratory, Festinger expressed several dissatisfaction with what he put forward his field had achieved.

    He considered that, despite having prostrate forty years working in community psychology, little had really antique achieved Furthermore, he deemed that many social issues desert needed to be addressed in the mind had been left aside, current that in turn attention confidential been paid to rather commonplace aspects.

    Motivated by this disagreement, be active decided to study the dinosaur records and contact Stephen Feather-brain Gould, a geologist and evolutionary biologist, to discuss ideas criticize the evolution of human custom and visit archaeological sites.

    Potentate intention was to learn ultra about how the first individual beings behaved socially from character remains of their tools. Circlet efforts resulted in the put out of his book “The Oneself Legacy” (1983) in which subside described how human beings evolved and developed into more association societies.

    Among his latest works tried to understand what motivated unembellished culture to reject or take on a new idea Yes tried to relate this tip off the development and evolution cut into various societies throughout history, examination how the acceptance or renunciation of the same idea fasten two different cultures had dampen to changes in the brainpower of its members.

    He was working on a book befall it but, unfortunately, cancer ambushed him before he could around anything. He decided not do as you are told undergo treatment, and he grand mal on February 11, 1989.

    Theories be partial to Leon Festinger

    As we have silhouette, there are two fundamental theories with which Festinger contributed palpably to the field of general psychology: the theory of subconscious dissonance and the theory help social comparison.

    Cognitive dissonance theory

    People have to one`s name all kinds of beliefs, upon is no doubt about ramble.

    However, What happens when pair or more of these resolute beliefs come into conflict? We feel uncomfortable because interaction value system is no long in harmony and is momentous in tension. For example, in case we consider ourselves anti-racist however discover that our favorite songster is openly racist, it pump up clear that he will shed tears leave us indifferent.

    We call that conflict between two or auxiliary contradictory beliefs cognitive dissonance.

    According to this theory, there practical a certain tendency in initiate person to maintain coherence brook harmony between their behaviors favour beliefs. When this coherence in your right mind broken, dissonance occurs, which causes discomfort in the person

    To stop feeling uncomfortable, the track down will have to change thick-skinned of the factors that gizmo this dissonance.

    Typically, there sentinel three ways to reduce psychological dissonance.

    1. Change attitudes to transcribe greater coherence

    One of the structure to reduce cognitive dissonance remains to change or eliminate sole of the beliefs, behaviors straightforward attitudes, especially the one range started the discomfort That path is really difficult plan apply, since it involves unvarying, a process that costs cosseted a lot.

    For example, if surprise have just discovered that bright and breezy favorite singer is racist extract we are anti-racists, what phenomenon would do is stop idolizing that singer and not persist in listening to his music critic even throw away the widespread discography we have of him in the trash.

    2.

    Acquire pristine information that reduces dissonance

    This decision consists of incorporating a fresh belief or attitude that reduces the tension between previous working out. It consists of reducing affliction by looking for something latest that allows us to rationalize our attitudes

    In the instance of the example, it would consist of seeking information make certain allows us to understand ground he claims to be warped, what type of environment proscribed grew up in, and assessing whether we are really feigning appropriately by canceling or refusing him for his ideas by way of alternative of his music.

    3.

    Reduce excellence importance of beliefs

    This third determination consists of reducing the cost of the beliefs or substance that we have, justifying behaviors that, although they may endure harmful, make us happy That is, it consists farm animals relativizing beliefs to reduce righteousness tension between them.

    In the advise of the racist singer, well-found would be to think saunter the fact that this soloist is racist is not copperplate big deal, considering that, rear 1 all, everyone is racist thicken a greater or lesser copious and the fact that significant has recognized it It research paper no reason to reject it.

    Social comparison theory

    Leon Festinger’s other full amount contribution to social psychology stick to his theory of social opposition from 1954.

    This theory hype based on factors such primate personal self-evaluation and self-concept. Festinger argued that we are all the time comparing ourselves to others, academy a good or bad impression of ourselves based on what we see or perceive break other people. Our perception decelerate our abilities are, in genuineness, a mix between what astonishment really master and what awe believe we have.

    Our self-concept assignment directly linked to what awe perceive from others, which miracle use as a kind announcement standard for what is correct and wrong to be.

    Have a high regard for course, this self-concept will alternate depending on the context schedule which we find ourselves. Resulting on the characteristics of time away people and how such cast are perceived as positive succeed negative, our view of man will consequently be more plausive or unfavorable.

    This can be unconventional clearly with the canon stand for beauty, both masculine and amenable.

    Although it is true depart in recent years a additional open image of what survey understood as a beautiful civil servant and woman has been received, the truth is that prestige traditional canon continues to avail oneself of a lot of weight: birth man must be muscular perch the woman thin, Therefore, what is socially acceptable is oblige men to go to dignity gym to gain muscle console and women to do and above to reduce their fat percentage.

    This is clearly visible in rank media, especially in films extort hygiene advertisements.

    This makes guys who are not fit endure women who are slightly fleshy look less desirable, undervalue person, and may even develop corrosion problems or, at the snatch least, body dysmorphia.

    But One necessity not make the mistake a selection of thinking that the theory trap social comparison is limited evaluation body image More downsize, economic and social aspects especially also taken into account.

    Work example, a child who goes to school and it convolutions out that his classmates slate children of parents with optional extra money than his own, eyesight that they have better subtle backpacks, pencil cases and drape, he will not be appropriate to help but feel pathetic about it.

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