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Elliot Aronson

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Elliot Aronson
Aronson photographed in 1972 by his wife Vera
Born (1932-01-09) January 9, 1932 (age 92)
Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA[3]
NationalityAmerican[1]
Alma materBrandeis University
Wesleyan University
Stanford University[1]
Known forresearch on cognitive dissonance, high-impact experimentation, Jigsaw Classroom, gain-loss theory of attraction
AwardsAPS William James Award
Scientific career
FieldsSocial Psychology, Applied Social Psychology, Media Psychology[1]
InstitutionsHarvard University
University of Minnesota
University of Texas
University of California, Santa Cruz
Doctoral advisorLeon Festinger
Doctoral studentsMerrill Carlsmith, John Darley, Anthony Greenwald, Ellen Berscheid, Darwyn Linder, David Mettee, Harold Sigall, Josef Schwartzwald, Rebecca Slaton, David Landy, Vernon Cope, Suzanne Yates, Erica Goode, Diane Bridgeman, Alexander Gonzalez. Marti Gonzales, Jeff Stone, Carrie Fried.

Elliot Aronson (born January 9, 1932) is an American psychologist. He is listed among the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th Century, best known for the invention of the Jigsaw Classroom as a method of reducing interethnic hostility and prejudice; cognitive dissonance research, and influential social psychology textbooks.[4] In his (1972) text, The Social Animal, (now in its 11th edition), he stated Aronson's First Law: "People who do crazy things are not necessarily crazy" thus asserting the importance of situational factors in bizarre behavior. He is the only person in the 120-year history of the American Psychological Association to have won all three of its major awards: for writing, for teaching, and for research.[2] In 2007 he received the William James Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science.[5] He officially retired in 1994, but has continued to teach and write.[6]

Early life and education

Aronson grew up in extreme poverty in Revere, Massachusetts, during the Great Depression. His was the only Jewish family in the neighbourhood, and it was not rare for Aronson to be bullied on the way home from Hebrew school by anti-Semitic gangs.[7] He belief that every life progress is based on actions of luck, opportunity, talent, and intuition together.[8] Although his high school grades were mediocre, his SAT scores were high enough to earn him a work/study scholarship at Brandeis University.[3] He earned his Bachelor's degree from Brandeis in 1954 (where he was a protégé of the humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow). He went on to earn a Master's degree from Wesleyan University in 1956 (where he worked with David McClelland), and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1959 (where his doctoral advisor and mentor was the experimental social psychologist Leon Festinger).[3][1]

Professional history

Aronson has taught at Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also served as Distinguished Visiting Professor at Stanford University.[9] He was included in a list of the 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th century published by the Review of General Psychology.[4] He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and won the William James Award from the Association for Psychological Science for his lifetime achievements.[10] His many honors include distinguished research awards from a variety of professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology. He also won the Gordon Allport Prize for his work on reducing prejudice.[11] In 1981 he was one of five academics awarded "Professor of the Year" by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.[12]

Research topics

Cognitive dissonance

One of Aronson's key areas of interest and research has been the theory of cognitive dissonance.[13] Aronson is credited with refining the theory, which posits that when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent (dissonant), psychological discomfort results. This discomfort motivates the person experiencing it to either change the behavior or the attitude so that consonance is restored. Among his classic experiments, he demonstrated that people who undergo an embarrassing initiation to gain admission to a group develop more favorable evaluations of the group than people who are admitted after a mild or easy initiation.[14]

The Jigsaw Classroom

Aronson in 2001, shortly after he began to lose his eyesight to macular degeneration

Aronson led the development of a classroom technique for defusing inter-group tension and promoting self-esteem. In 1971 the newly desegregated schools of Austin, Texas faced a crisis of violence between ethnic groups.[15] Aronson, then at the University of Texas, was called in as a consultant by a school superintendent who was also a former student.[1][15] Aronson noticed that the schools' highly competitive atmosphere was exacerbating the already tense ethnic rivalry.[1] Together with his graduate students, he developed a model of teaching practice to encourage a culture of shared goals and mutual support.[1] In the jigsaw classroom approach, pupils are divided into small groups, mixed by race and by ability, to work co-operatively on a task.[16] The classroom material—for example a biography of a historical figure—is broken into sections, and one member of each group is responsible for reading each section.[16] Members with the same role from each group gather in "expert groups" to discuss their sections. They then return to their own groups and take turns to present what they have learnt. They are then assessed individually on all sections of the material.[16][17] This division of responsibilities means that students are motivated to listen to each other and each of them experiences a role in which they are valuable to others.[16]

Comparisons with traditional classroom environments showed that the jigsaw classroom has positive effects on academic performance, self-esteem and attitudes towards other ethnic groups.[18] The technique has since been applied in hundreds of schools across North America.[1] From its initial application at third- to fifth-grade school level, it has been expanded to other educational levels. This success encouraged Aronson to apply his research to other policy issues including energy conservation and the treatment of the elderly.[1] In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre, Aronson advocated for jigsaw classrooms as part of an approach to defusing the social divisions underlying school violence.[15]

Gain-loss theory of attraction

In 1965, Aronson proposed that interpersonal attraction and liking could be understood in terms of the balance of reward and cost. This implied that contrast—a gain or loss of positive feedback from the other person—has more effect on liking than the absolute level of feedback. An example is how compliments are more meaningful when they come from someone who is usually critical, rather than from a reliable supporter. Another example is that a couple may feel more dedicated to their relationship if they initially disliked each other.[19]

Awards and professional recognition

Award Awarding body Year Source
Award for Distinguished Research in Social Psychology American Association for the Advancement of Science 1970 [1]
Fellowship Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioural Sciences 1970–1, 1977–8 [1]
National Media Award American Psychological Association 1973 [1]
Teaching Award University of Texas 1973 [1]
Teaching Award in Psychology American Psychological Association 1980 [1]
Donald T. Campbell Award for distinguished contributions in social psychology American Psychological Association 1980 [20]
Professor of the Year Council for the Advancement and Support of Education 1981 [12]
Gordon Allport Prize for Inter-Group Relations Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues 1981 [11]
Guggenheim Fellowship John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation 1981–2 [1]
Fellowship American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1992 [1][21]
Award for Distinguished Research in the Social Sciences University of California, Santa Cruz 1992 [11]
Distinguished Scientific Career Award Society of Experimental Social Psychology 1994 [1]
Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award American Psychological Association 1999 [11]
Master Lecturer American Psychological Association 2001 [22]
William James Fellow Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Scientific Psychology Association for Psychological Science 2007 [11]

Personal life

Aronson with his Labrador Retrieverguide dog Desi-Lu in 2011

Elliot is married to Vera Aronson, whom he met while they were both undergraduate research assistants under Abraham Maslow.[2] Together they have had four children; Hal, Neal, Julie and Joshua, who is himself a social psychologist.[2][23] In 2000, Aronson was diagnosed with macular degeneration and, by 2003, had lost all of his central vision.[10] To cope with his blindness, Aronson decided to work with a guide dog, and applied at Guide Dogs for the Blind in 2010. Later, beginning in January and extending through February 2011, he was trained at Guide Dogs for the Blind in a three week training session, and received a guide dog, Desilu, nicknamed "Desi." He graduated from the program on February 12, 2011. He said jokingly "They worked us 14 hours a day, until we were almost as smart as our dogs."[24]

Bibliography

Aronson has written more than twenty books, including textbooks, popularizations and one book of children's fiction with his granddaughter Ruth Aronson. In 2010, Psychology Press published a book of essays and scholarly articles by his friends, colleagues, and former students celebrating his influence on their work: The Scientist and the Humanist: A Festschrift in Honor of Elliot Aronson.

Academic books

  • Lindzey, G., & Aronson, E. (1968 & 1985). The handbook of social psychology (2nd & 3rd eds.). New York: Random House.
  • Stern, P. C., & Aronson, E. (1984). Energy use: The human dimension. New York: W. H. Freeman.
  • Pines, A. & Aronson, E. (1988). Career burnout. New York: Free Press.
  • Aronson, E., Ellsworth, P., Carslmith, J. M., & Gonzales, M. (1990). Methods of research in social psychology (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Aronson, E., & Pratkanis, A. R. (1993). Social psychology: The most outstanding research (Vol. 1, 2, & 3). London: Elgar Ltd.
  • Aronson, E. (2000). Nobody left to hate: Teaching compassion after Columbine. New York: Henry Holt.
  • Pratkanis, A. R., & Aronson, E. (2001). Age of propaganda: The everyday use and abuse of persuasion. New York: Henry Holt.
  • Tavris, C., & Aronson, E. (2007). Mistakes were made (but not by Me): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts New York: Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-15-101098-1
  • Aronson, E., & Patnoe, S. (2011). Cooperation in the Classroom: The Jigsaw Method (3rd ed.). New York: Pinter & Martin Ltd. ISBN 1-9051-7722-4
  • Aronson, E. (2011). The Social Animal (11th ed.). New York: Worth/Freeman. ISBN 1-4292-3341-9
  • Aronson, J., & Aronson, E. (Ed.). (2011). Readings about the social animal (11th ed.). New York: Worth/Freeman. ISBN 1-4292-3342-7
  • Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2012). Social psychology (8th ed.). New York: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-2057-9662-1

Autobiography

  • Aronson, E. (2002). "Drifting my own way: Following my nose and my heart." In R. Sternberg (Ed.) (2003) Psychologists defying the crowd: Stories of those who battled the establishment and won. Washington, DC: APA Books. ISBN 978-1-55798-919-2
  • Aronson, Elliot (2007), "Elliot Aronson", in Lindzey, Gardner; McKinley Runyan, William (eds.), A History of psychology in autobiography, volume 9, American Psychological Association, pp. 3–42, ISBN 978-1-59147-796-9
  • Aronson, E. (2010). Not by chance alone: My life as a social psychologist. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01833-8

Fiction

  • Aronson, E., & Aronson, R. (2005). The Adventures of Ruthie and a Little Boy Named Grandpa (a children's book). iUniverse.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Sheehy, Noel (1997), "Aronson, Elliot", Biographical dictionary of psychology, Taylor & Francis, pp. 23–24, ISBN 978-0-415-09997-4 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Gonzales, Marti Hope; Tavris, Carol; Aronson, Joshua (2010), "Editor's Introduction", in Gonzales, Marti Hope; Tavris, Carol; Aronson, Joshua (eds.), The scientist and the humanist: A Festschrift in honor of Elliot Aronson, New York: Psychology Press, pp. 7–8, ISBN 978-1-84872-867-7
  3. ^ a b c Aronson, E. (2010). Not by chance alone: My life as a social psychologist. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01833-8
  4. ^ a b Haggbloom, Steven J. (2002). "The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century". Review of General Psychology. 6 (2): 139–152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ William James Fellow Award - Elliot Aronson (Association for Psychological Science) Accessed 2009-07-19
  6. ^ Zimbardo, Philip (2010), "Honoring Elliot Aronson", in Gonzales, Marti Hope; Tavris, Carol; Aronson, Joshua (eds.), The scientist and the humanist: A Festschrift in honor of Elliot Aronson, New York: Psychology Press, pp. 15–18, ISBN 978-1-84872-867-7
  7. ^ http://journals1.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/tmp/6760359125482435581.pdf
  8. ^ Chibnall, John T., "Elliot Aronson and the life of becoming.", American Psychological Association, date
  9. ^ Aronson, Joshua Michael (15 April 2002), Improving academic achievement: impact of psychological factors on education, Emerald Group Publishing, p. 15, ISBN 978-0-12-064455-1, retrieved 11 July 2010
  10. ^ a b McNulty, Jennifer. "UCSC Professor Emeritus Elliot Aronson receives lifetime achievement award from the Association for Psychological Science". UC Santa Cruz. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d e Gonzales, Marti Hope; Tavris, Carol; Aronson, Joshua (2010), "Elliot Aronson's Awards, Books, and Publications", in Gonzales, Marti Hope; Tavris, Carol; Aronson, Joshua (eds.), The scientist and the humanist: A Festschrift in honor of Elliot Aronson, New York: Psychology Press, pp. 345–346, ISBN 978-1-84872-867-7
  12. ^ a b "KU's Bricker recognised for outstanding teaching". Lawrence Journal-World. 28 May 1981. p. 6. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  13. ^ Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson. Aronson advanced Festinger's theory by showing that it is most powerful when the self-concept is involved; see Tavris, C., & Aronson, E. (2007), Mistakes were made (but not by ME): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  14. ^ Aronson, E., & Mills, J. (1959). The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a group. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 59, 177–181.
  15. ^ a b c Gilbert, Susan (March 27, 2001). "No One Left to Hate: Averting Columbines". New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2010. [dead link]
  16. ^ a b c d Levinson, David; Cookson, Peter W.; Sadovnik, Alan R. (2002), Education and sociology: an encyclopedia, Taylor & Francis, p. 117, ISBN 978-0-8153-1615-2, retrieved 11 July 2010
  17. ^ Brophy, Jere (2004), Motivating Students to Learn, Routledge, pp. 203–204, ISBN 978-1-4106-1021-8, retrieved 11 July 2010
  18. ^ Aronson, Elliot; Bridgeman, Diane (1979), "Jigsaw Groups and the Desegregated Classroom: In Pursuit of Common Goals", Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 5 (4): 438–446, doi:10.1177/014616727900500405, ISSN 0146-1672
  19. ^ Reisman, John M. (September 1979). Anatomy of friendship. Ardent Media. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-0-89197-646-2. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  20. ^ "The Donald T. Campbell Award". APA.org. American Psychological Association. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  21. ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010, chapter A" (PDF). amacad.org. American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  22. ^ "Master Lecturers Program". APA.org. American Psychological Association. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  23. ^ Stambor, Zak (2006), "Lowered expectations", Monitor on Psychology, vol. 30, no. 6, American Psychological Association, retrieved 11 July 2010
  24. ^ http://news.ucsc.edu/2011/03/aronson-nominations.html

Further reading

External links

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