Leon Festinger

American social psychologist who built cognitive dissonance and social comparison into theory and famous fieldwork.

Specifications & Metrics

lifespan

1919-1989

nationality

American

tradition

Social psychology

Core Principles & Analysis

• A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (1957) proposed that inconsistency drives attitude change.
• When Prophecy Fails (1956) followed a flying-saucer group whose failed prophecy strengthened, not broke, belief.
• His 1954 social comparison theory grounded how people evaluate themselves against similar others.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Leon Festinger