Leon Festinger (1919-1989) Social Psychology Trading Card #8 Leon Festinger (1919-1989) Nationality: American Key influence: Kurt Lewin Approach: Cognitive / social cognition The social psychologist Leon Festinger is probably best known for the concept of cognitive dissonance (and for infiltrating a doomsday cult). He challenged the dominance of behaviourism in psychology by reintroducing cognitive processes in understanding behaviour. He advanced the use of laboratory experimentation but also stressed the importance of studying real-life situations. He sought to create experimental situations that were “real and important to the subject”, with plenty of subterfuge and manipulation. The elaborate staging involved meant his experiments were compared to theatre. Contemporary relevance 82% Breaking new ground 98% Impact on social psychology 98% Critical thinking 86%