Scribd
Upload
48 views

Field Thoery

Kurt Lewin was a pioneering social psychologist who made several important contributions. His field theory viewed behavior as being influenced by both personal characteristics and environmental factors. Lewin believed one must understand the social context to comprehend behavior. He studied leadership styles, group dynamics, and introduced concepts like force field analysis and action research. Lewin's field theory analyzed behavior as a function of the total psychological field or life space at a given time.

Uploaded by

somya mathur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
48 views

Field Thoery

Kurt Lewin was a pioneering social psychologist who made several important contributions. His field theory viewed behavior as being influenced by both personal characteristics and environmental factors. Lewin believed one must understand the social context to comprehend behavior. He studied leadership styles, group dynamics, and introduced concepts like force field analysis and action research. Lewin's field theory analyzed behavior as a function of the total psychological field or life space at a given time.

Uploaded by

somya mathur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 44

FIELD THEORY: Kurt Lewin

If you want Truly to Understand


Something: Try to Change it
Kurt Lewin

RosHan
Contributions to social psychology:
1. Field Theory: Lewin's work was
grounded in his field theory, which he
applied to the study of social behavior. He
believed that an individual's behavior is a
function of their personal characteristics
and the environment in which they find
themselves. This approach emphasized the
importance of understanding the social
context in which behavior occurs.
2. Leadership Styles:
One of Lewin's most famous studies
explored leadership styles. Conducted
research on groups of children and found
that there were three primary leadership
styles: autocratic (authoritarian),
democratic, and laissez-faire.
This research laid the foundation for
our understanding of leadership and how
different leadership styles can impact
group dynamics.
3. Group Dynamics:
Lewin's work on group dynamics
examined how groups function and how
they influence individual behavior. He
introduced the concept of "group
dynamics," which involves studying how
individuals within a group interact,
influence each other, and make decisions.
His research highlighted the
importance of communication and
cooperation within groups.
4. Force-Field Analysis:
Lewin introduced the concept of
force-field analysis, which is a problem-
solving technique that assesses the driving
forces (factors pushing for change) and
restraining forces (factors resisting
change) in a particular situation.
This approach is widely used in
organizational change management and
problem-solving.
5. Action Research:
Lewin believed in the
importance of using research to
drive social change.
He developed the concept of
"action research," which involves
conducting research in real-world
settings with the goal of solving
practical problems and effecting
positive social change.
6. Topological Psychology:
Lewin's work also extended to the
study of cognitive processes and
perception.
He made significant contributions
to topological psychology, exploring
how individuals perceive and
understand their physical and social
environments.
Lewin's change theory consists of three distinct
and vital stages:
Unfreezing
Moving to a New Level or Changing
Refreezing.
"Unfreezing" involves finding a method of making it
possible for people to let go of an old pattern that was
counterproductive in some way.
"Moving to a new level" involves a process of change--
in thoughts, feelings, behavior, or all three, that is in
some way more liberating or more productive.
"Refreezing" is establishing the change as a new habit,
so that it now becomes the "standard operating
procedure." Without some process of refreezing, it is
easy to backslide into the old ways.
Important Concepts of FIELD THEORY
Field

RosHan
Force Field Analysis
A Person in Life Space
Foreign Hull

Topology

Vector
VECTORS

RosHan
Valence
CONFLICTS

RosHan
Locomotion

Barrier
Field Theory
Behavior must be derived from a totality of
co-existing facts

These co-existing facts make up a dynamic


field which means that the state of any part of
the field depends on every other parts of it

Behavior depends on the present field


rather than on the past or the future

RosHan
RosHan
Some psychologists were convinced
that Lewin's name should rank with Freud's
among those contributing the most to
contemporary psychology.

At one time Lewin saw associations,


called energy, that were required for personal
growth. Lewin believed that these
associations were connections that added to
the personality as more connections were
made (Daniels, 2003).
Lewin’s view is that a person is a
combination of various systems that regulate
different aspects of the person’s “field”
(Daniels, 2003). A “social field” is defined as
a representation of the whole group and it’s
environment as compared to a ‘force field’ that
includes people, attitudes, habits and customs.

Field theory is one concept he developed


in order to explain any form of social behavior
through the connection between perceptions
of the self and the environment.
Field theory is based on Lewin’s belief that
human behavior is the result of actions that occur in
what he termed a force field. He defines a field as
“the totality of coexisting facts which are conceived
of as mutually interdependent” (Lewin, 1951).
This field represents the space in which the
different aspects of the individual’s environment
coexist. It is through various interactions in the field
and between the fields of other individuals that
behavior occurs (Neill, 2004).
Every individual has a field, but no two fields
are exactly alike due to a wide variety of individual
differences.
Three Steps Model
There are three questions involved in this
process. First an individual/group has to ask:
what the current issue/problem? Next, the
individual/group has to find out if there are threats
or dangers. Finally and most importantly, the
individual/group needs to figure out what should
be done (Lewin, 1946).
Regions are connected when a person can
perform a locomotion between them.
Locomotion includes any kind of approach or
withdrawal.
Hall and Lindzey (1978) summarize the
central features of Kurt Lewin’s field theory as
follows:
Behavior is a function of the field that exists at
the time the behavior occurs.

The hallmark of field theory, in Lewin’s


words, is “looking at the total situation” (Lewin
1952), rather than piecemeal, or item by item, or
variable by variable analysis.
Lewin not only adapted Gestalt principles but further
applied them to a theory of personality and development into
what is now known as the Psychological Field Theory.
He was one of the first psychologists to propose that the
development of an individual was the product of the interaction
between inborn predispositions (nature) and life experiences
(nurture).
This conception was presented by Lewin in the form of a
mathematical equation known as Lewin’s Equation for behavior,
stating that behavior is the function of the person interacting
within his environment or B = f (P,E).
Human behavoir depend on field principles and are influenced by
psychological forces such as how the individual perceives a
situation.

RosHan
The main concepts used in Lewin’s field theory are
as follows:
1. Topology:
It is also called topological. Two basic concepts
which topological space denotes are:
(i) Connectedness, and
(ii) Part-whole relationships.
Topological concepts are used to represent the
structure of life- space in such a way as to define the
range of possible perceptions and actions. This is
accomplished by showing the arrangements of the
functional parts of life-space. The parts are shown as
various regions and their boundaries. When an
individual structures his life-space, he divides it into
regions. RosHan
2. Vector:
The term vector represents a force which is
influencing movement towards a goal or away from
it. If there is only one vector (force), there is
movement in the direction of the vector. However, if
there are two or more vectors acting simultaneously in
different directions, the movement is in the direction
of the resultant force.
3. Life-Space:
It is also called the psychological field. The
psychological field is the space in which the person
moves psychologically. It contains the whole of one’s
psychological reality – one’s self and what one thinks
of or what one gains from one’s physical and social
environment. RosHan
4. The Person in Life-Space:
The person is often represented as a point moving about in his
life-space, affected by pulls and pushes upon him,
circumventing barriers in his locomotion in his own life-space.
5. Valence:
When a person is attracted by an object, that object is said to
have a positive valence. When a person is repelled by an object
that is said to have a negative valence. The person tends to
move towards a region in life- space that has positive valence
and he tends to move away from a region in life-space that has
negative valence. Because life-space may contain regions with
several valences active at a time, these give rise to conflict,
especially when the opposing forces are approximately in
balance.

RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
RosHan
BARRIERS

RosHan
LOCOMOTION

RosHan
RosHan
Criticisms
1.Lack of Accuracy: One of the primary criticisms of Lewin's
theory is that it lacks accuracy and specificity. It often relies
on vague and abstract concepts like "life space," "field," and
"force field," which can be difficult to operationalize and
measure empirically.

2. Overemphasis on Individual Behavior: Critics argue that


Lewin's theory places too much emphasis on individual
behavior and does not adequately address the role of social
and cultural factors in shaping behavior. It tends to downplay
the importance of external influences and systemic factors.
3. Limited Predictive Power: Some scholars have
criticized the theory's limited ability to predict
specific behaviors or outcomes. The theory
provides a framework for understanding behavior
but may not offer concrete predictions about how
individuals will act in a given situation.

4. Lack of Integration: Lewin's theory is often


criticized for its failure to integrate various
psychological perspectives and concepts. It
doesn't effectively incorporate concepts from other
psychological theories, such as cognitive
psychology or evolutionary psychology.
5. Limited Cross-Cultural Applicability: Critics
argue that Lewin's theory may have limited
applicability in cross-cultural contexts, as it was
primarily developed within a Western cultural
framework and may not adequately account for
cultural variations in behavior.

6. Lack of Development Over Time: Some argue


that Lewin's theory has not evolved significantly
over time to address contemporary psychological
and societal issues. It may not fully capture the
complexities of modern behavior and social
dynamics
7. Not Comprehensive: Lewin's Field Theory
focuses primarily on understanding and
explaining behavior but may not provide a
comprehensive framework for addressing other
important psychological phenomena, such as
cognition, emotion, or personality.

8. Limited Practicality: Critics contend that the


theory may be more useful as a conceptual
framework than as a practical tool for
intervention or behavior change. It may not
provide clear guidance on how to apply its
principles in real-world situations.

You might also like