Leon Festinger Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

V knize z roku 1956 byla poprvé formulována slavná teorie kognitivní disonance (stav mysli vzniklý rozporem mezi dvěma poznáními či postoji). Vědci se infiltrovali do skupiny, která věřila v nadcházející apokalypsu a svou záchranu prostřednictvím UFO. Když ke konci světa nedošlo, skupina si to vysvětlila tím, že právě díky jejímu působení se bůh země rozhodl naši planetu zachránit. Festinger dochází k závěru, že aby člověk začal ještě silněji věřit nějaké teorii i poté, co se nesplnilo jeho očekávání, musí být splněno několik podmínek – například v minulosti musel své víře hodně obětovat a musí mít silnou sociální podporu. Tím dochází k odstranění kognitivní disonance (vnitřního rozporu), takže jakýkoli důkaz svědčící proti zastávané teorii je vysvětlen tak, aby teorii nevadil, nebo ji dokonce podpořil. Kromě své vědecké hodnoty je kniha, kterou lze číst jako román, zajímavým příběhem malé skupiny lidí, jež spojovalo bizarní, ale fascinující přesvědčení.

Il 15 gennaio 1934, un devastante terremoto colpì il Bihar, in India, generando voci allarmistiche nelle regioni vicine che preannunciavano ulteriori disastri. Vent'anni dopo, Leon Festinger esaminò i dati raccolti da Prasad su queste voci mentre lavorava per integrare le informazioni nel campo della comunicazione e dell'influenza sociale. Festinger si chiese come potessero diffondersi così facilmente voci terrorizzanti in una situazione già carica di paura. Non sarebbe stato più logico che, tra le popolazioni terrorizzate, emergessero voci che riducessero l'ansia? La sua risposta fu che queste voci servivano a giustificare la paura già esistente. Esisteva una discordanza tra ciò che le persone, non direttamente colpite, osservavano e la paura che provavano, non supportata dalle evidenze. Questa dissonanza tra elementi cognitivi—comprendendo conoscenze, opinioni o credenze su se stessi e il mondo—venne definita dissonanza cognitiva.

In 1954, Leon Festinger, a young experimental social psychologist, and his colleagues infiltrated a cult that believed the world would end soon. They sought to understand how the members would react when their prophecy failed. Would they acknowledge their mistake, or would they adjust their beliefs to cope with the reality? The text explores the difficulty of changing deeply held convictions, especially when individuals have invested in their beliefs. People often employ various defenses to protect their views, remaining unshaken even in the face of overwhelming evidence against them. In fact, they may become more fervent in their beliefs and attempt to convert others. This phenomenon raises critical questions about the psychology behind such responses to contradictory evidence. The book serves as a sociopsychological study of a UFO cult predicting the world's destruction and the adjustments made when this prediction did not come true. The authors undertook a unique approach by immersing themselves in the movement, observing its dynamics during a crisis. Their findings are significant not only for their content but also for their innovative methodology, providing valuable insights into social movements and belief systems.

Originally published: Evanston, Ill.: Row, Peterson, c1957.