Leon Festinger (1919–1989) was an American social psychologist best known for formulating the theory of cognitive dissonance (1957), which holds that people experience psychological discomfort when holding contradictory beliefs and are motivated to reduce that dissonance — often by rationalizing rather than revising beliefs. His fieldwork on apocalyptic cults (When Prophecy Fails, 1956) is a landmark study.
Cognitive dissonance theory — one of the most influential concepts in all of social psychology; transformed understanding of belief revision, self-justification, and attitude change.
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