Class 2 Kurt Lewin 1890 1947 Father of

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Class 2 Kurt Lewin 1890 -1947 Father of Modern Social Psychology “Nothing is as

Class 2 Kurt Lewin 1890 -1947 Father of Modern Social Psychology “Nothing is as practical as a good theory” “B = (P * S)”: Behavior is function of Person and Situation

Lewin Biography Trained in classic Gestalt psych, but departs from it. Serves in German

Lewin Biography Trained in classic Gestalt psych, but departs from it. Serves in German army during WW I. “Life space” influenced by infantryman experience. Immigrates to USA from Germany in 1932, flees Nazis Profound ideological connection to USA, democracy, and Zionism (creation of Israel). Planned to move Research Center for Group Dynamics (now at U. Mich. ) to Israel before early death at age 57. Theorizing and some experiments reflect democratic

Lewin’s Contribution a. Life space: temporal and reality/irreality dimensions, can include uncons. proc. b.

Lewin’s Contribution a. Life space: temporal and reality/irreality dimensions, can include uncons. proc. b. Channel factors gatekeepers c. Tension systems: Zeigarnic Effect Psychological Confict d. Group dynamics, Leadership climate “democratic groups”

Gestalt, Tension, and the Lewinian Legacy Wertheimer: Classic Gestalt-closure Lewin: Tension systems, incomplete tasks

Gestalt, Tension, and the Lewinian Legacy Wertheimer: Classic Gestalt-closure Lewin: Tension systems, incomplete tasks Festinger: Cognitive Dissonance E. Aronson: Self and Cognitive Dissonance Steele: Self Affirmation vs. Dissonance

Lewin’s Attention to Every Day Events 1. How landscape appears to soldier, as he/she

Lewin’s Attention to Every Day Events 1. How landscape appears to soldier, as he/she approaches front Life Space. 2. How to get Americans to change diets channel factors, gate keepers. 3. Waiter’s memory for un-paid bill tension systems, Zeigarnik Effect. 4. Workers’ appreciation of attention, WPA leadership styles Democratic vs. Authoritarian Climates.

Life Space Objective Space: Toy blocked by barrier Child seeks toy, can’t reach it

Life Space Objective Space: Toy blocked by barrier Child seeks toy, can’t reach it Father is some distance behind child Life Space: Toy blocked by barrier Child seeks father, who can reach toy Father is envisioned obtaining toy Life Space is not simply “subjective reality”. Elements can be unconscious. Life Space is the way elements are psychologically arrayed, in explaining behavior.

Channel Factors and Gatekeepers Lewin at U. Iowa: How change US diets to eat

Channel Factors and Gatekeepers Lewin at U. Iowa: How change US diets to eat liver, kidney, etc. a. Identify channels: Small obstacles matter. "Give a map" b. Identify gatekeepers: Moms

Goals and Tension Systems Goals: People are goal-oriented; to understand a person’s behavior— including

Goals and Tension Systems Goals: People are goal-oriented; to understand a person’s behavior— including perceptions and judgment—must know his/her goal. Goals and values: Who likes rich, lush field? Who doesn’t? Goals interact with situations in defining “Life Space” Tension-systems: Tension arises when goals are blocked, are in conflict, or are uncompleted. a. Are goals always conscious? b. Is tension always conscious? c. Is tension fundamentally a good or bad thing?

Psychological Conflicts Approach / Avoidance Ask for Raise / Get Turned Down See New

Psychological Conflicts Approach / Avoidance Ask for Raise / Get Turned Down See New Movie or See New Play? DMZ for 5 Hrs. / Denied Vote Avoidance Approach / Approach Avoidance / Avoidance What emotions do these create? Frustration, anxiety, tension Why these emotions arise? Mutually-opposed goals “Leave the Field” How resolve these emotions? Cognitive Dissonance

Zeigarnik Effect Bluma Zeigarnik, 1927 Lewin at beer garden—waiter’s memory —why? People compelled to

Zeigarnik Effect Bluma Zeigarnik, 1927 Lewin at beer garden—waiter’s memory —why? People compelled to satisfy valued goals. Interrupted / blocked goals create tension. Memory: Interrupted tasks better remembered. Tension keeps uncompleted goals Relevance to trauma, emotions? salient. Preference: Interrupted tasks preferred over completed tasks.

Leadership Styles: Democratic, Laissez Faire, Authoritarian Democratic: Enlists input, listens to others, but has

Leadership Styles: Democratic, Laissez Faire, Authoritarian Democratic: Enlists input, listens to others, but has final say. Laissez Faire: Does not direct at all. Authoritarian: Demands unquestioned obedience. When leader is present, which Democratic and Authorita group(s) most productive? When leader is absent, which Democratic group(s) most productive?

T Groups and Hawthorne Effect Training Groups (“T Groups): Idea that people who work

T Groups and Hawthorne Effect Training Groups (“T Groups): Idea that people who work on same task benefit from open-ended, non-judgmental conversation on their own group dynamics. Hawthorne Effect: Motivation and morale of those on task increases when they are included in decision making.

Leadership, Morale, and Time Perspective Lincoln Churchill Four score and seven years ago. .

Leadership, Morale, and Time Perspective Lincoln Churchill Four score and seven years ago. . . Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . . dedicated to the great task remaining before us. . . JFK We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

3 1 2 IVs: Optimism, Pessimism, Emotions, Age

3 1 2 IVs: Optimism, Pessimism, Emotions, Age

In-Class Timeline Study Scared Sad First Time Point Second Time Point Third Time Point

In-Class Timeline Study Scared Sad First Time Point Second Time Point Third Time Point Opt’sm Pes’sm Happy Angry Age. 39 -. 32. 57*. 33. 11 . 01 -. 51* . 48+. 19 -. 26 . 01 -. 18 Ave. Time Point. 19 -. 26 Time-frame Width Most Past Point - -. 07 . 64* . 15 . 06 . 42+ . 15 . 06 . 01 -. 18. 21 -. 44+ . 42+ . 04 -. 16 . 35 -. 25. 19 -. 54* . 72** . 21 -. 01

Time Perspective and Mental Illness Ellenhorn, R. (under review). Help that Harms: The Treatment

Time Perspective and Mental Illness Ellenhorn, R. (under review). Help that Harms: The Treatment for Mental Illness and Its Attack on the Self Timeline completed by mental health patient. Hash lines = important events. Past Present Future

Action Research and Social Justice

Action Research and Social Justice

Lewin's Empirical Humanism Social Perception: To understand people (and their behavior) you must: A.

Lewin's Empirical Humanism Social Perception: To understand people (and their behavior) you must: A. Understand the situation they are in B. Understand the situation they see themselves as being in "To substitute the for that world of the individual the world. . . of the physicist, or anybody else, is not to be objective, but wrong. " "Naive Psychology" pretty good. Is scientific psych. as smart as 3 yr old? Social psych: Need to determine proper size of observational unit. Too long obsessed with smallest possible unit.

Lewin Discussion Questions 1. Kurt Lewin said that people seek homeostasis—a state of equilibrium

Lewin Discussion Questions 1. Kurt Lewin said that people seek homeostasis—a state of equilibrium where tension is minimal. But that sounds boring. Most people seek tension, such as sports, romance, scary movies. How does Lewin explain this? 2. The Zeigarnik Effect says that uncompleted goals stay alive in memory. How might Zeig. Effect relate to intrusive memories/intrusive emotions? 3. Lewin observes that organized groups are more persistent, more motivated--but that fear spreads more quickly through them. Why? 4. Can observation and interpretation ever be kept separate? Can a person be trained to do keep them separate, as Lewin suggests? 5. Lewin says reduced morale "narrows" life space. What does this mean? What are examples? 6. "Realism is key to morale": Does this have any relevance to medical practice?