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Leon Festinger

Definition

An American social psychologist known for his theories on cognitive dissonance and social comparison. He suggested that humans strive for internal consistency, and when inconsistency (dissonance) exists, individuals will attempt to reduce it.

Analogy

Think of Leon Festinger as a detective of human mind who tries to understand why people think and behave the way they do. Just like detectives use clues to solve mysteries, Festinger used observations about human behavior to develop his theories.

Related terms

Social Comparison Theory: A theory proposing that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others they perceive as somehow faring better or worse.

Conformity: Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Groupthink: A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.