Kurt Lewin (1890–1947), German-American psychologist. He was close to Gestalt psychology. He criticized the associative concept of affective-volitional acts and the teachings of N. Akh about determining tendencies. Using the physical concept of «field» and the principles of description adopted in topology, he developed the concept of a dynamic system of behavior, which is under tension when the balance between the individual and the environment is disturbed. According to Lewin’s doctrine of motivation, motives are objects — various areas of «living space» in which an individual feels a need, or a quasi-need — an intention. The objects of the environment themselves acquire a motivational force and lose it when the need (or quasi-need) is satisfied. Lewin rejected the notion that need is a biologically predetermined constant, and that the energy and dynamics of a motive are locked within the individual. Levin developed experimental methods for studying motivation, in particular the level of claims, memorizing completed and unfinished actions, etc. He depicted the psychological “space” with the help of graphic symbols, dividing it into areas that change their forms with boundaries and barriers. He also developed a special geometric model to describe the subject’s motion vectors in the psychological field and his idea of »what leads to what?» Subsequently, Levin created a new research program that reflected current social needs. From the analysis of individual motivation, he moved on to the study of group dynamics, interpreting the group as a dynamic whole, united by forces interacting within it. This required Levin and his collaborators to experimentally study leadership, conflict, and other social and psychological problems that arise in the group.
Publications
- dynamic psychology
- Resolution of social conflicts