Leon Festinger (1919 -1989)
Leon Festinger was, in the 1950s and 1960s, one of the most influential social psychologists in the world. He attended City College of New York as an undergraduate and the University of Iowa for his graduate studies, which he pursued under the mentorship of Kurt Lewin. He held teaching positions at Iowa, Rochester, MIT, Minnesota, Michigan, and Stanford before joining the faculty at the New School for Social Research in New York City in 1968. During his years at Stanford, he trained several young social psychologists who went on to make important and lasting contributions to the field.
Leon Festinger is best known for his theory of cognitive dissonance, which has generated more research than almost any other concept in social psychology. His social comparison theory has also been widely influential, and has helped to solidify his reputation as one of social psychology’s foremost theorists.