费斯汀格法则及其释义

什么是费斯汀格法则？

费斯汀格法则的释义

Leon Festinger (1919-1989)

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

CONTRIBUTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

什么是费斯汀格法则？

　　费斯汀格法则是指美国社会心理学家费斯汀格（Festinger）的一个很出名的判断：生活中的10％是由发生在你身上的事情组成，而另外的90％则是由你对所发生的事情如何反应所决定。换言之，生活中有10%的事情是我们无法掌控的，而另外的90%却是我们能掌控的。

费斯汀格法则的释义

　　费斯汀格在书中举了这样一个例子。

　　卡斯丁早上起床后洗漱时，随手将自己高档手表放在洗漱台边，妻子怕被水淋湿了，就随手拿过去放在餐桌上。儿子起床后到餐桌上拿面包时，不小心将手表碰到地上摔坏了。

　　卡斯丁疼爱手表，就照儿子的屁股揍了一顿。然后黑着脸骂了妻子一通。妻子不服气，说是怕水把手表打湿。卡斯丁说他的手表是防水的。

　　于是二人猛烈地斗嘴起来。一气之下卡斯丁早餐也没有吃，直接开车去了公司，快到公司时突然记起忘了拿公文包，又立刻转回家。

　　可是家中没人，妻子上班去了，儿子上学去了，卡斯丁钥匙留在公文包里，他进不了门，只好打电话向妻子要钥匙。

　　妻子慌慌张张地往家赶时，撞翻了路边水果摊，摊主拉住她不让她走，要她赔偿，她不得不赔了一笔钱才摆脱。

　　待拿到公文包后，卡斯丁已迟到了15分钟，挨了上司一顿严厉批评，卡斯丁的心情坏到了极点。下班前又因一件小事，跟同事吵了一架。

　　妻子也因早退被扣除当月全勤奖，儿子这天参加棒球赛，原本夺冠有望，却因心情不好发挥不佳，第一局就被淘汰了。

　　在这个事例中，手表摔坏是其中的10%，后面一系列事情就是另外的90%。

　　都是由于当事人没有很好地掌控那90%，才导致了这一天成为“闹心的一天”。

　　试想，卡斯丁在那10%产生后，假如换一种反应。比如，他抚慰儿子：“不要紧，儿子，手表摔坏了没事，我拿去修修就好了。”这样儿子高兴，妻子也高兴，他本身心情也好，那么随后的一切就不会发生了。

可见，你控制不了前面的10％，但完全可以通过你的心态与行为决定剩余的90％。

Leon Festinger (1919-1989)

Leon Festinger was a 20th century psychologist who developed the theories of cognitive dissonance and social comparison. These theories continue to play a role in contemporary psychology.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Leon Festinger was born on May 8, 1919 in New York City. He graduated from Boys’ High School in New York, and earned his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York. He completed his master’s and PhD in psychology from the University of Iowa, graduating in 1942. As a student, he attended classes led by Kurt Lewin, a psychologist who was developing his concept of “field theory”—the notion that an individual’s behavior is informed by present, coexisting facts. Festinger worked with Lewin as a research associate at the university for two years before moving on to teaching at the University of Rochester in 1943.

When Lewin formed the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Festinger joined the Center as an assistant professor in 1945. After Lewin’s death, the Center moved to the University of Michigan where Festinger worked an associate professor beginning in 1948. Three years later, Festinger moved to the University of Minnesota where he was a professor of psychology. In 1955, Festinger accepted a similar position at Stanford University where he remained until 1968 when he became the Else and Hans Staudinger Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York.

CONTRIBUTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Festinger developed several key psychological theories. His theory of cognitive dissonance was the indirect result of an earthquake. Festinger learned that Indian earthquake victims were terrified that a much bigger earthquake was coming, despite evidence to the contrary. Festinger believed that people bought these rumors because they served to justify fear that was already present. From this belief, Festinger developed the theory of cognitive dissonance, which is the state of discomfort a person experiences when he or she holds two conflicting beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance often springs from a person's values. For example, when people engage in practices or activities that they know to be harmful to themselves or others, such as smoking or adultery, they may experience cognitive dissonance. Festinger published his research in the book, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, which is considered his most important and lasting contribution to the field of psychology. In 1959, he won the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association for his work. He also published Conflict, Decision and Dissonance in 1964.

Festinger's social comparison theory argues that people evaluate their own ideas, values, and beliefs by comparing them to the ideas of others. Further, people tend to seek companionship with people who share their values, which is why friends and romantic partners often share similar belief systems. People are made uncomfortable by differences between themselves and loved ones, which means people try to bridge differences either by changing another person's beliefs or changing their own beliefs.

In the book When Prophecy Fails, Festinger and colleagues shared their experiences of infiltrating a small cult who believed the end of the world was imminent. The book examines the fallout that occurs when people's beliefs are disproved by evidence. Festinger observed that when doomsday prophecies turn out to be incorrect, this does not dissuade group members. Instead, people may point to their beliefs as the reason a prophecy failed. For example, one group that believed the end of the world was coming argued that their prophecies about the end of the world had actually prevented the world from ending.