Introduction
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) is recognized as the founder of experimental social psychology. Through his research on group dynamics, Lewin developed field theory, where he described the interactions between a person and his or her environment. His field theory concept of “life space” – the combination of factors that influence a person’s behavior – and his three-stage theory of change, “unfreeze, change, freeze,” are important contributions to the field of couple and family therapy.
Career
Kurt Lewin began his studies at the University of Freiburg in 1909, but transferred to University of Berlin in 1910. After completing his bachelor’s degree, Lewin joined the German army during World War I. After serving in the army, he returned to the University of Berlin and worked at the Psychological Institute, completing a Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Carl Stumpf. Lewin’s research interests were influenced by his time in the army and his German contemporaries’, Wolfgang Kohler and...
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Lewin, K. (1935). Psycho-sociological problems of a minority group. Character & Personality, 3(3), 175–187.
Lewin, K. (1943). Psychology and the process of group living. Journal of Social Psychology, 17(1), 113–131.
Lewin, K. (1948). The background of conflict in marriage. In G. Lewin (Ed.), Resolving social conflicts: Selected papers on group dynamics (pp. 68–70). New York: Harper.
Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271–301.
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Hillier, S., Buck, K.A. (2019). Lewin, Kurt. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_882
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_882
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