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Leon FestingeAmerican psychologist
Date of Birth: 08.05.1919
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Leon Festinger
Leon Festinger, an American psychologist, was born in New York City in 1919. He was raised in a Jewish family of Russian immigrants, Alex Festinger and his wife Sara Solomon Festinger. Festinger attended City College of New York, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then pursued further education at the University of Iowa, where he obtained his degree in psychology in 1942. During his time at the University of Iowa, Festinger worked under the guidance of the renowned psychologist Kurt Lewin, with whom he maintained a connection throughout his career, working together at the Group Dynamics Center.
In the early 1940s, Festinger also worked as a psychologist at a state psychiatric hospital and later as a psychologist at the child psychology center at the University of Iowa. He later became a prominent psychologist at the University of Rochester. In the mid-1940s, Festinger collaborated with his former professor Lewin at the Group Dynamics Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After Lewin's death in 1946, Festinger continued his work, first as a professor at the University of Michigan and later at the University of Minnesota, where he worked from the early 1950s.
In 1955, Festinger joined Stanford University as a professor and in 1968, he became a professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He remained at the New School for the rest of his life, teaching several courses, including lectures on clinical and social psychology.
One of Festinger's most significant contributions to the field of psychology is the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, which he formulated in 1957 by building upon Lewin's Theory of Field and F. Heider's Theory of Structural Balance. Festinger's theory was inspired by his analysis of rumors that spread rapidly after an earthquake. By explaining the nature of these rumors, Festinger concluded that people strive to achieve internal equilibrium and comfort between conflicting knowledge - the information they receive and their personal motivations.
Another extensive contribution Festinger made to psychology is the Social Comparison Theory. According to this theory, individuals often evaluate themselves and their actions based on comparisons with others and their actions.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, Festinger received the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in 1959. Today, Festinger's name holds as much significance in social psychology as Freud's does in clinical psychology.
