Leon festinger psychology. Social Comparison Theory 2022-10-11
Leon festinger psychology
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Leon Festinger was a psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of social psychology, specifically in the areas of cognitive dissonance and social comparison.
Festinger first introduced the concept of cognitive dissonance in his 1957 book "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance." According to Festinger, cognitive dissonance occurs when an individual holds two conflicting beliefs or values, and the resulting psychological discomfort motivates them to change one of their beliefs or behaviors. For example, a person who smokes cigarettes but also values their health may experience cognitive dissonance, leading them to either quit smoking or justify their behavior by convincing themselves that smoking is not as harmful as they initially believed.
Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely studied and has had a significant impact on our understanding of how people cope with conflicting beliefs and values. It has also been applied to a variety of real-world situations, such as understanding why people continue to engage in unhealthy behaviors despite knowing the risks.
In addition to his work on cognitive dissonance, Festinger also conducted research on social comparison, which refers to the process by which individuals evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others. In his 1954 book "Social Comparison and Social Psychology," Festinger argued that people have a fundamental need to evaluate themselves in relation to others, and that this need drives much of human behavior.
Festinger's work on social comparison has had a lasting impact on our understanding of how people form their self-concept and how they relate to others. It has also been applied to a wide range of areas, including education, marketing, and organizational behavior.
In summary, Leon Festinger was a pioneering psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of social psychology through his theories of cognitive dissonance and social comparison. His work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of human behavior and has been applied to a wide range of real-world situations.
Social Comparison Theory
New York, NY: Dryden. He was told again to use one band and to work at his own speed. Any factors which increase the importance of some particular group as a comparison group for some particular opinion or ability will increase the pressure toward uniformity concerning that ability or opinion within that group. In this way, they propose, the person who is forced to improvise a speech convinces himself. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 46 1 , 92—99. Your unhealthy eating habits will likely trigger much more dissonance as you understand that your actions may be a matter of life or death.
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Leon Festinger
When dissonance is present, in addition to trying to reduce it, the person will actively avoid situations and information which would likely increase the dissonance. Social Pressures in Informal Groups: A Study of Human Factors in Housing. A similar rating of the over-all content of what the S said. As they finished, they were instructed that they had to inform the next group of students that the tasks had been enjoyable and interesting. He was also active in professional organizations including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Classics in the History of Psychology
The Ss were given a very good reason, in addition to being paid, for saying what they did to the waiting girl. But given that they had sustained no damage, they also recognized that they had much less to be anxious about. In the One Dollar condition, since the magnitude of dissonance was high, the pressure to reduce this dissonance would also be high. These types of quizzes help people to determine how they measure up to others or to what the editor says is desirable. Furthermore, since the pressure to reduce dissonance will be a function of the magnitude of the dissonance, the observed opinion change should be greatest when the pressure used to elicit the overt behavior is just sufficient to do it. We are certainly justified in concluding that the Ss in the One Dollar condition did not improvise more nor act more convincingly.
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A Psychologist Broke Into A Cult. Here’s The Weird Thing He Learned About Your Brain
These nonsocial restraints are largely absent for opinions. Public Opinion Quarterly, 28 3 , 404—417. These Ss were hired for twenty dollars to do the same thing. How Your Brain Can Spiral Out Of Control That last line was a trick question. This may be a great basketball player, someone with more money, or a person who always has a smile on their face.
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Leon Festinger
Twenty years of cognitive dissonance: Case study of the evolution of a theory. The ratings were of course done in ignorance of which condition each S was in. The couple had three children—Catherine, Richard, and Kurt. He continued to work until his death on February 11, 1989, from liver cancer. A Reddit user on the Social comparison theory makes a pretty decent case that audiences watch these because it makes them feel better about themselves, either morally or intellectually. When you read biographies of a millionaire or watch your favorite player practice drills, you are engaging in upward social comparison. Psychological Review, 85 1 , 53—57.
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Social Comparison Theory in Psychology
You might also search for articles that discount the validity of studies demonstrating the harmful effects of smoking. In order to reduce it, the villagers altered one of their beliefs, convincing themselves that they did in fact have something to fear—a more severe disaster was supposedly on the horizon. Festinger became ill with liver and lung cancer in 1988. RESULTS The major results of the experiment are summarized in Table 1 which lists, separately for each of the three experimental conditions, the average rating which the Ss gave at the end of each question on the interview. This change is usually in the direction of greater uniformity.
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Leon Festinger (Psychologist Biography)
The five ratings were: 1. He did this for one-half hour. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 47 2 , 382—389. The E showed this to the S and then proceeded with his false explanation of the purpose of the experiment. He was survived by his wife Trudy and four children. As you compare yourself to others, consider how both upward and downward social comparison might influence your. Why we compare ourselves, how this process happens, and the results of the comparison may vary depending on your situation.
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What did Leon Festinger do for psychology?
Some left—the newest and least committed members—but most stayed. Psychologist Leon Festinger believed that we engage in this comparison process as a way of establishing a benchmark by which we can make accurate evaluations of ourselves. They also socialized more with residents who lived closer to them on the same floor e. . Extending Psychological Frontiers: Selected Works of Leon Festinger pp. A theory of social comparison processes. In addition, some critics argue that people often engage in comparisons with individuals who differ from them in important ways and that such comparisons also supply valuable self-knowledge.
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Leon Festinger and Cognitive Dissonance
Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 37, 184—200. Development of differential appetite in the rat. For example, some propose it as a justification for defense mechanisms that manifest in various psychological conditions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. It was all going to end in a great flood the morning on December 21, 1956. What is more, as one might expect, the percentage of subjects who complied increased as the size of the offered reward increased. Social comparison theory suggests that people value their own personal and social worth by assessing how they compare to others.
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Leon Festinger Biography
There are, after all, other ways in which the experimentally created dissonance could be reduced. The cognitive dissonance experiment The cognitive dissonance experiment designed by Leon Festinger and his colleague Merrill Carlsmith in 1957 was conducted with students. From what you know about the experiment and the tasks involved in it, would you say the experiment was measuring anything important? Three conditions were run, Control, One Dollar, and Twenty Dollars as follows: Control Condition The E continued: Is that fairly clear? We know that we compare ourselves to other people. I gather that they're interviewing some people who have been in experiments. Leon Festinger Leon Festinger 1919-1989 was a psychologist who developed the theories of Cognitive dissonance theory asserts that people can have two conflicting or inconsistent cognitions or beliefs which produce a state of tension or discomfort also known as "dissonance".
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