Historical Figures in Social Psychology  (Social Psychology Network) Asch, Solomon 1907 - 1996 Solomon Asch is best known for laboratory studies on conformity showing that under certain circumstances, a large percentage of people will conform to a majority position even when the position is clearly incorrect. He also published seminal studies on the primacy effect and halo effect, and helped inspire Stanley Milgram's research on obedience to authority. Obituary in the New York Times Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict Wikipedia Entry for Solomon Asch Festinger, Leon 1919 - 1989 Leon Festinger developed the theory of cognitive dissonance, a motivational theory suggesting that people seek to minimize discomfort caused by inconsistent beliefs and behaviors. He also developed social comparison theory, devised several of the earliest nonparametric statistical tests, and documented the key role of proximity in social relationships. Leon Festinger: A Biographical Memoir Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance Wikipedia Entry for Leon Festinger Le Bon, Gustave 1841 - 1931 Gustave Le Bon was a French social scientist who wrote about the psychology of crowds and the "collective mind," which he described as a "single being" more primitive and suggestible than the individuals who comprise it. His views on crowd behavior and inherited racial characteristics helped lay the foundation for fascist ideologies later promulgated by Hitler. Encyclopedia Britannica biography of Gustave Le Bon The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind Wikipedia Entry for Gustave Le Bon Lewin, Kurt 1890 - 1947 Kurt Lewin was an early leader of group dynamic research and is regarded by many as the founder of modern social psychology. Lewin's Equation, B=f(P,E), stipulates that behavior is a function of the person and environment, and he advocated "action research" applying this equation and scientific methods to address social problems such as prejudice and group conflict. Kurt Lewin's biography from Muskingum College Kurt Lewin Institute Wikipedia Entry for Kurt Lewin McDougall, William 1871 - 1938 William McDougall cofounded the British Psychological Society in 1901 and published one of the first social psychology textbooks, An Introduction to Social Psychology (1908). He opposed behaviorism, believing instead that human behavior could be explained by instincts, and was controversial for his views on eugenics and inherited racial differences. Autobiography of William McDougall Encyclopedia of Psychology Biography of William McDougall Wikipedia Entry for William McDougall Milgram, Stanley 1933 - 1984 Stanley Milgram is famous for a set of studies suggesting that most people will obey an experimenter's order to administer potentially deadly levels of electric shock to a protesting stranger. He also invented several research techniques unrelated to obedience, such as the lost-letter technique, cyranoid technique, and small-world ("six degrees of separation") technique. StanleyMilgram.com The Man Who Shocked the World Wikipedia Entry for Stanley Milgram Sherif, Carolyn Wood 1922 - 1982 Carolyn Wood Sherif and her husband, Muzafer Sherif, conducted the "Robber's Cave" experiment (see below) and worked with Carl Hovland to develop social judgment theory, an influential theory about how and when attitude change takes place. She also studied gender identity, social values, and group dynamics, and served as President of the Society for the Psychology of Women. Biography of Dr. Carolyn Wood Sherif Carolyn Wood Sherif Award Obituary in Psychology of Women Quarterly Wikipedia Entry for Carolyn Wood Sherif Sherif, Muzafer 1906 - 1988 Muzafer Sherif was a Turkish-born social psychologist who, with his wife Carolyn, conducted the Robber's Cave experiment in which boys at a summer camp were divided into two rivil groups and ultimately overcame fierce intergroup hostility after working toward superordinate goals. He also studied norm formation, attitude change, and many other topics. Muzafer Sherif's Biography from Muskingum College Intergroup Conflict and Cooperation: The Robbers Cave Experiment Essays in Honor of Muzafer Sherif Wikipedia Entry for Muzafer Sherif Tajfel, Henri 1919 - 1982 Henri Tajfel devised the "minimal group paradigm" in which intergroup relations are studied after arbitrarily dividing experimental participants into groups on the basis of minimally important characteristics. Consistent with social identity theory (co-developed with his student John Turner), he documented that even minimal groups readily form identities and exhibit ingroup favoritism. The EASP Henri Tajfel Award Wikipedia Entry for Henri Tajfel Triplett, Norman 1861 - 1931 Norman Triplett published one of the first experiments related to social psychology. The report, appearing in the American Journal of Psychology in 1898, compared how fast children wound a reel when alone and in competiton with another child. He concluded that the presence of another contestant "serves to liberate latent energy not ordinarily available." Norman Triplett's 1898 Article Wikipedia Entry for Norman Triplett Robert Cialdini - known for his research on influence processes (Wikipedia) Robert Zajonc - first academic to study the mere exposure effect (Wikipedia) Philip Zimbardo - well known for conducting the Stanford prison experiment        @RobertoManjonOr