Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Social psychologist, specialist in the theory of cognitive dissonance, with interest in the fields of visual perception, archaeology and pre-historic social organization. Papers, primarily from his years at Stanford University, include correspondence, speeches, unpublished articles, reports, some research material and files relating to various professional organizations and meetings.

The Leon Festinger papers document the career of one of the leading psychologists of our time. Material exists from all phases of his career and shows evidence of his work in social psychology, visual perception, and pre-historic social organization. However, as Festinger noted on several occasions, much material was jettisoned to lighten the load for each move to a new university. Consequently, more documentation exists from his later career (especially after the mid-1960s) than from earlier periods. Except for occasional reminiscences, very little information is included regarding time spent at the University of Michigan or his association with the Institute for Social Research. While the collection contains only limited primary research material, references to that research and to his many experiments in social psychology and perception may be found in his correspondence. His activities as a reviewer, consultant, and proponent of international academic cooperation are especially well-documented in his correspondence. The original arrangement of the Leon Festinger collection has largely been maintained. The collection is divided into three series: Early Writing and Research (1939-1957); Alphabetical Files (1950-1989); and Reprint File (1940-1986).