When prophecy fails / by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken and Stanley Schachter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Festinger, Leon, 1919-1989, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Prophecies (Occultism).

Occultism.

Medical Subjects:

Occultism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Other Title:

APA PsycBOOKS.

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, [1956]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

We have all experienced the futility of trying to change a strong conviction, especially if the convinced person has some investment in his belief. We are familiar with the variety of ingenious defenses with which people protect their convictions, managing to keep them unscathed through the most devastating attacks. But man's resourcefulness goes beyond simply protecting a belief. Suppose an individual believes something with his whole heart; suppose further that he has a commitment to this belief, that he has taken irrevocable actions because of it; finally, suppose that he is presented with evidence, unequivocal and undeniable evidence, that his belief is wrong: what will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than ever before. Indeed, he may even show a new fervor about convincing and converting other people to his view. How and why does such a response to contradictory evidence come about? This is the question on which this book focuses. We hope that, by the end of the volume, we will have provided an adequate answer to the question, an answer documented by data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

Notes:

Bibliographical references included in "Notes to chapter 1" (pages 253-254)

Electronic reproduction. Washington, D.C. : American Psychological Association, 2004. Available via the World Wide Web. Access limited by licensing agreement. s2004 dcunns.

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.