Field theory is one of the theoretical approaches to Psychology. The term field theory in Psychology has been flipped primary to the work of the Gestalt psychologist and it has been employed to characterize particularly the work of Kurt Lewin and his students. Lewin's impact is reflected in general orientation to psychology which has left its impression on colleagues and students.
Lewin believed that psychological events must be explained in psychological terms that central process in the life space, distal perception, cognition, motivation, goal-directed behavior rather than the peripheral process of sensory input and muscular action are the proper focus of investigation; that psychological events must be studied in their interrelations with the group to which he belongs, that attempt to bring about change in a process is the most fruitful way to investigate it that important social-psychological phenomena can be studied experimentally, that the scientist should have a social conscious and should be active in making the world a better place to live in; and that a good theory is valuable in social action-as well as for science.
During the latter part of the nineteenth century new and bold ideas were introduced into physics which profoundly altered scientific conceptions of physical reality The impact of these ideas was not limited to physics. They crumbled the foundations of philosophical view points and served as a model for new conceptions in biological and social·sciences. These ideas-the contributions of such men as Faraday; Maxwell and Hertz are commonly referred to by the term "field theory".
The "field theorists" in the non-physical sciences have attempted to consider-the phenomena they investigate as occurring in a 'field': that is as part of a totality of coexisting facts which are seen as mutually interdependent. In other words, "field theory" as it is employed in the social and biological sciences does not refer to theories about physical phenomena; for example-gravitational or electromagnetic phenomena; rather it refer to a "method of analyzing casual relations and of building scientific construction. This method, in a manner similar to that of field theory in physics, assumes that the properties of any event are determined by its relation to the system of events of which it is a component and that "changes here and now depend on changes in the immediate neighborhood at a time just past". The term "field theory" in psychology has been applied primarily to the work of the Gestalt psychologists, and it has been employed to characterize particularly the work of Kurt Lewin and his students.
The characteristic of Lewin's approach to the field theory can be divided into:
• Psychological approach.
• An emphasis on the total situation.
• Systematic rather than historical causation
• The constructive rather than classificatory approach
• The dynamic approach.
• Mathematics and field theory.
Lewin took the stand that psychological phenomena must be explained in psychological terms, just as physical phenomenon of be explained in physical terms.
This approach postulates that psychology is concerned with the individuals behavioral transactions with his internal and external environment. Behavior is a transaction of an individual not merely of some part of the body.
The psychological explanation of behavior assumes that all behaviors have . directional characteristic. Hence, it is concerned with the purposes which underlie behavior and the goals towards or away from which behavior is directed.
Lewin's emphasis on the "relation of the concrete individual to the concrete situation" leads the scientific investigator to a more explicit realization that the understanding of behavior require not only a knowledge of the person (his past experiences, his present attitudes, and his capabilities) but also a knowledge of his immediate situation.
In essence, the emphasis in research guided by field theory is on the study of psychological events in their relations of interdependence rather than as isolated events to and from their situations.
Lewin has emphasized that psychological events must be explained in term of the properties of the field which exists at the time when the events occur. He has pointed out that past events can only have a position in the historical causal chains whose intervening creates the present situations; they cannot directly influence present events.
The classificatory approach, which emphasizes the primary of thing concepts, assumes that concept are derived by abstractions from particular objects to an ideal object that embraces the essence of the particular object to which it refers. As we go to higher and higher concepts( from cow to animal to living object), the conceptual pyramid reaches its summation in the abstract representation of something, the all inclusive entity to which every possible content is relevant ,but which at the same time is totally devoid of specific, meaning.
The constructive approach stresses relation concepts. Here, the meaning of any concept is determined by its relations to the other concept in the system of concepts of which it is a part. The reality of a specific phenomenon is desirable or constructible from the relevant constructible from the relevant constructive elements, which are called constructs.
The individual is conceived as a system whose components maintain a relative flexibility of inter .relations, variation in one aspect of the system may induce compensating changes in other aspects, thus maintaining the integrity of the system. The notion of dynamic or organism equilibrium stresses the fact that the "whole" remains the same only because .of a patterning or organization which persist in the midst of change.
Lewin stressed the need for clear understanding of the formal properties of scientific constructs and he insisted that the determinants of behavior would have to be represented . in mathematical terms, if psychology were to become a rigorous discipline. He devoted " ·great effort to formulate and apply geometrical concepts which would be of value.in psychology. His most elaborate effort in this connection was his formulation of a geometry which he termed hodological space (Lewin, 1938).
Hodological space represents an ingenious attempt to develop a geometry whose basic spatial concepts .could be integrated with dynamic concepts. Here Levin distinguished path which is used in establishing the direction between two points is determined by the attractiveness rather than the shortness of the path. Direction is influenced by such factors as the degree of differentiation of the space into sub regions, the relative prominence of whole versus parts, and the properties. of the field at large. Using the concepts of hodological space to define psychological direction seem particularly helpful in giving insight into behavior in conflict situations, in situations which are cognitively unclear, and also useful in understanding the difference between escape( or withdrawal) and goal-seeking (or approach) behavior, etc.
Lewin employed the term life space (or psychological field or total situation to refer to the main fold of co-existing facts which determine the behavior of an individual at a given moment. Behavior, in other words, is a function of the life space : B = f(LS). The life space is in turn a product of the interaction between the person (P) and his environment (E). In symbolic expression B= f(LS) =f(P,E).
Environment: The term environment is often refer to the objective environment or stimulus situation (ie. the objective situation which confronts the individual at a given environment).
Lewin also uses the term ''environment" to refer to the Psychological environment which is conceived to be the environment as it exists forth individual. The psychological environment is a part of the life space, and hence its properties are detennined not only by the characteristics of the objective environment but also by the characteristics of the person.
Person : Lewin employed the term person in three ways. First, he used it to refer to those properties of the individual (his needs, his beliefs and values, his perceptual and motoric systems) which in interaction among themselves and with the objective environment produce the life space.
In a second usage, Lewin employed person as equivalent to "life pace". And he also used the term person to refer to the 'person in the life space. The person· in the life space or 'the behaving self' is the individual is related to the other entities in his life space.
Behavior : the term behavior has been employed to refer to any change in the life space, that is, any change which is subject to psychological laws.
An outstanding characteristics of the change of the life space during development is increasing differentiation. This includes an increasing differentiation in the time dimension. As the individual matures, his picture of possibilities which exist in the future plays an increasingly important role in determining his morale.
The differentiation of the life space brings with it a differentiation of the reality unreality dimension. The different degrees of unreality correspond to different degrees of fantasy. They include both the and wishes and the fears .
One of his basic concepts is that of 're-gion', which may be defined as any distinguished part of the life space (or person). Regions of the psychological environment refer to present or contemplated activities rather than to the objective areas in which activities occur or to the external objects with which activities occur or to the .external objects with which activities are linked . A child who is using the back porch as a· stage and a chair and a throne is in the region of 'play acting' ( on the· porch with a chair as a thorn), rather than in the region of the 'porch'.
The 'position' of the behaving self, P, is defined by the activity region in which it is located. Any change of position of any region within the life space is conceived to be 'locomotion'. Locomotion from one region to another involves movement of the behaving self from its present to its terminal position through a path of neighboring regions. The distinguished path between any two regions is the path along which the individual expects that he will locomote if he chooses to proceed from one region to another. It is, in other words, the preferred be psychologically best path.
In Lewins system, dynamic concept have the function of enabling one to determine which of the possible psychological events will occur.
There exists a definite relation between tension systems of the person-and certain properties of the psychological environment. The concept of 'tension system' played a central role in Lewin's theory, and it has promoted a series of experiments on recall and resumption of interrupted activities, substitute activities, and satiation.
Zeigarnik (1927) and many others have conducted experiments in which subjects were given a series of tasks to perform and then prevented from completing half of them (selected at random). Later, the subjects were asked to recall what tasks they had performed. The results were presented in the form of a quotient, commonly called the Zeigarnik quotient (ZQ).
Zeigarnik predicted a quotient of greater than one i.e, more recall of unfinished. tasks than cornpleted tasks. The obtained quotient was approximately l.9, clearly supporting Lewin's assumptions.
The various effects of tension on psychological process provide criteria for developing insight into the social and group factors which produce individual motivation and facilitate the reduction of individual tension.
Barler stated that "ecology is concerned with the naturally occurring environment of entities". Specific behavior settings tend to elicit standard pattern of behavior because of direct physical or social forces acting on behavior (narrow passageways make people walk in a file; soldiers on a drill field are required to walk in steps with one another).
Barker and Wright (1955) developed an extensive category system which they ) employed to characterize behavior settings. They used six major category dimensions: occupancy time, Penetration, action patterns mechanism, richness and centrality.
'Occupancy time' refers to the total number of hours people spend in different behavior settings. 'Penetration.' of behavior settings refers to the degree to which its occupants have involvement and responsibility in t~e setting. 'Action patterns' refer to the typical 'behavior patterns associated with particular behavior settings. 'Behavior mechanistic' refer to the molecular features of behavior: affective behavior, gross motor setting' refers to the variety of action patterns and behavior mechanisms that occur in the behavior setting.
Concepts Dealing with change in the Psychological environment :
Level of aspiration may be defined the degree of difficulty of attainment of the goal toward which the person is striving. The concept of level of aspiration is relevant only if t.here is a perceived range of difficulty in the attainment of possible goals.
A common sequence of events in the experimental studies for level of aspiration
are:
1) A subject plays a game, or performs a task in .which he can obtain a score (for eg, throwing darts at a target).
2) After playing the game and obtaining a given score, he is asked to tell what score he will undertake to make the next time he plays.
3) He then plays the game again and achieves another score.
4) He reacts to his second performance with feelings of success or failure, with a continuing or new level of aspiration etc. Socially induced changes:
Lewin distinguished between changes due to forces, 'which are "imposed' on the individual's and changes which reflect directly the individual's own needs. Relevant to ·this distinction is the concept of 'power field'. A power field is an inducing field; it can induce changes in the life space within its area of influences.
French and Raven, examining the bases of social power, described five varieties: reward power, whose basis is the ability to reward; coercive power, whose basis is the ability to punish; legitimate power, which stems from internalized values in person that dictate that he has an obligation to accept others attempt to influence him; referent power, which is based on the identification of person with other; and expert power, which is based on the attribution of greater information or expertness to the influencing agent by the person being influenced.
Hieder (1958) applied the term 'heteronymous event' to the phenomena referred to by the concept power field, and more broadly to all changes whose source does not lie in the person but in the environment. He pointed out that the psychological significance of a heteronymous eyent is very much influenced by its perceived sources. Thus, an individual is more likely to be angry when someone steps on his toes if he sees this event as having a source in the intentions of the other person, than if he sees it as one of those things which happen in a crowded bus. The focus in the study of social perception, as Heider defined it, is not so much the study of social influences on the perception of the physical world, but rather the study of the conditions which influence one's perception of other people (groups, for example) and which determine the characteristics and relations that one attributes to them.
Lewin focused his attention on the individual in his social environment. He analyzed the social influences playing upon the child, the differences in national character between Americans and Germans, the socio-psychological problems of being a member of the minority groups and the situations of the adolescents. These diverse studies stimulated an interest in the study of the conditions which affect group life.
Lewin's work on-social psychology reflected two basic personal orientations which Lippit 1947 has summed up in the term 'Scientific Citizen'. Action research and group dynamics, two terms which are closely associated with the work of Kurt Lewin in social psychology, in a sense reflect each of Lewin's personal orientations.
Action Research :
By working ·closely with various social agencies, educational institutions, and industries, Lewin was able to stimulate a number of field experiments on such important topics as leadership training and group productivity.
Group Dynamics :
Lewin's work in social psychology not only stimulated theoretical and experimental research in group dynamic; it also gave rise to an 'applied group dynamics'. The National Training Laboratories which has become one of the key institutions concerned with the application of behavioral science to social practices, was initiated in 194 7 with cosponsorship of Lewin's Research center for group dynamics and has been very much influenced by Lewin's ideas. The articles published in this center emphasize the importance reeducation and change
The 'field theory in psychology can be primarily attributed to the work of Kurt Lewin and his students.
The meta theory of Lewin's theory has following approaches -Psychological approach, an emphasis on the total situation, systematic rather than historical causation,, the constructive rather than classifactory approach, the dynamic approach and mathematics and field theory.
In these approach, Lewin stresses that psychological events must be explained in psychological terms and that environment is also important for a person's behavior.
The basic concepts of field theory Kurt Lewin are life space which has person and environment interaction, structural concepts, dynamic concepts which has tension system and psychological ecology, which has 'occupancy time', penetration, action patterns, behavior mechanisms and richness of behavior setting.
Later concepts dealing with change in the psychological environment were discussed in which level of aspiration, socially induced changes and social perception were covered which influence the changes in environment.
In the last section, action research and group dynamics, the implications of Lewin's theory on the further investigations and also the research generated from this theory are discussed.
Lewin believed that psychological events must be explained in psychological terms that central process in the life space, distal perception, cognition, motivation, goal-directed behavior rather than the peripheral process of sensory input and muscular action are the proper focus of investigation; that psychological events must be studied in their interrelations with the group to which he belongs, that attempt to bring about change in a process is the most fruitful way to investigate it that important social-psychological phenomena can be studied experimentally, that the scientist should have a social conscious and should be active in making the world a better place to live in; and that a good theory is valuable in social action-as well as for science.
FIELD THEORY
During the latter part of the nineteenth century new and bold ideas were introduced into physics which profoundly altered scientific conceptions of physical reality The impact of these ideas was not limited to physics. They crumbled the foundations of philosophical view points and served as a model for new conceptions in biological and social·sciences. These ideas-the contributions of such men as Faraday; Maxwell and Hertz are commonly referred to by the term "field theory".
The "field theorists" in the non-physical sciences have attempted to consider-the phenomena they investigate as occurring in a 'field': that is as part of a totality of coexisting facts which are seen as mutually interdependent. In other words, "field theory" as it is employed in the social and biological sciences does not refer to theories about physical phenomena; for example-gravitational or electromagnetic phenomena; rather it refer to a "method of analyzing casual relations and of building scientific construction. This method, in a manner similar to that of field theory in physics, assumes that the properties of any event are determined by its relation to the system of events of which it is a component and that "changes here and now depend on changes in the immediate neighborhood at a time just past". The term "field theory" in psychology has been applied primarily to the work of the Gestalt psychologists, and it has been employed to characterize particularly the work of Kurt Lewin and his students.
THE META THEORY
The characteristic of Lewin's approach to the field theory can be divided into:
• Psychological approach.
• An emphasis on the total situation.
• Systematic rather than historical causation
• The constructive rather than classificatory approach
• The dynamic approach.
• Mathematics and field theory.
The Psychological approach :
Lewin took the stand that psychological phenomena must be explained in psychological terms, just as physical phenomenon of be explained in physical terms.
This approach postulates that psychology is concerned with the individuals behavioral transactions with his internal and external environment. Behavior is a transaction of an individual not merely of some part of the body.
The psychological explanation of behavior assumes that all behaviors have . directional characteristic. Hence, it is concerned with the purposes which underlie behavior and the goals towards or away from which behavior is directed.
An emphasis on the Total Situation:
Lewin's emphasis on the "relation of the concrete individual to the concrete situation" leads the scientific investigator to a more explicit realization that the understanding of behavior require not only a knowledge of the person (his past experiences, his present attitudes, and his capabilities) but also a knowledge of his immediate situation.
In essence, the emphasis in research guided by field theory is on the study of psychological events in their relations of interdependence rather than as isolated events to and from their situations.
Systematic Versus Historical concepts of causation :
Lewin has emphasized that psychological events must be explained in term of the properties of the field which exists at the time when the events occur. He has pointed out that past events can only have a position in the historical causal chains whose intervening creates the present situations; they cannot directly influence present events.
The constructive versus the classificatory approach :
The classificatory approach, which emphasizes the primary of thing concepts, assumes that concept are derived by abstractions from particular objects to an ideal object that embraces the essence of the particular object to which it refers. As we go to higher and higher concepts( from cow to animal to living object), the conceptual pyramid reaches its summation in the abstract representation of something, the all inclusive entity to which every possible content is relevant ,but which at the same time is totally devoid of specific, meaning.
The constructive approach stresses relation concepts. Here, the meaning of any concept is determined by its relations to the other concept in the system of concepts of which it is a part. The reality of a specific phenomenon is desirable or constructible from the relevant constructible from the relevant constructive elements, which are called constructs.
The Dynamic Approach :
The individual is conceived as a system whose components maintain a relative flexibility of inter .relations, variation in one aspect of the system may induce compensating changes in other aspects, thus maintaining the integrity of the system. The notion of dynamic or organism equilibrium stresses the fact that the "whole" remains the same only because .of a patterning or organization which persist in the midst of change.
Mathematics and Field theory :
Lewin stressed the need for clear understanding of the formal properties of scientific constructs and he insisted that the determinants of behavior would have to be represented . in mathematical terms, if psychology were to become a rigorous discipline. He devoted " ·great effort to formulate and apply geometrical concepts which would be of value.in psychology. His most elaborate effort in this connection was his formulation of a geometry which he termed hodological space (Lewin, 1938).
Hodological space represents an ingenious attempt to develop a geometry whose basic spatial concepts .could be integrated with dynamic concepts. Here Levin distinguished path which is used in establishing the direction between two points is determined by the attractiveness rather than the shortness of the path. Direction is influenced by such factors as the degree of differentiation of the space into sub regions, the relative prominence of whole versus parts, and the properties. of the field at large. Using the concepts of hodological space to define psychological direction seem particularly helpful in giving insight into behavior in conflict situations, in situations which are cognitively unclear, and also useful in understanding the difference between escape( or withdrawal) and goal-seeking (or approach) behavior, etc.
BASIC CONCEPTS OF FIELD THEORY
The Life Space :
Lewin employed the term life space (or psychological field or total situation to refer to the main fold of co-existing facts which determine the behavior of an individual at a given moment. Behavior, in other words, is a function of the life space : B = f(LS). The life space is in turn a product of the interaction between the person (P) and his environment (E). In symbolic expression B= f(LS) =f(P,E).
Environment: The term environment is often refer to the objective environment or stimulus situation (ie. the objective situation which confronts the individual at a given environment).
Lewin also uses the term ''environment" to refer to the Psychological environment which is conceived to be the environment as it exists forth individual. The psychological environment is a part of the life space, and hence its properties are detennined not only by the characteristics of the objective environment but also by the characteristics of the person.
Person : Lewin employed the term person in three ways. First, he used it to refer to those properties of the individual (his needs, his beliefs and values, his perceptual and motoric systems) which in interaction among themselves and with the objective environment produce the life space.
In a second usage, Lewin employed person as equivalent to "life pace". And he also used the term person to refer to the 'person in the life space. The person· in the life space or 'the behaving self' is the individual is related to the other entities in his life space.
Behavior : the term behavior has been employed to refer to any change in the life space, that is, any change which is subject to psychological laws.
The dimension of the life space :
An outstanding characteristics of the change of the life space during development is increasing differentiation. This includes an increasing differentiation in the time dimension. As the individual matures, his picture of possibilities which exist in the future plays an increasingly important role in determining his morale.
The differentiation of the life space brings with it a differentiation of the reality unreality dimension. The different degrees of unreality correspond to different degrees of fantasy. They include both the and wishes and the fears .
Structural Concepts :
One of his basic concepts is that of 're-gion', which may be defined as any distinguished part of the life space (or person). Regions of the psychological environment refer to present or contemplated activities rather than to the objective areas in which activities occur or to the external objects with which activities occur or to the .external objects with which activities are linked . A child who is using the back porch as a· stage and a chair and a throne is in the region of 'play acting' ( on the· porch with a chair as a thorn), rather than in the region of the 'porch'.
The 'position' of the behaving self, P, is defined by the activity region in which it is located. Any change of position of any region within the life space is conceived to be 'locomotion'. Locomotion from one region to another involves movement of the behaving self from its present to its terminal position through a path of neighboring regions. The distinguished path between any two regions is the path along which the individual expects that he will locomote if he chooses to proceed from one region to another. It is, in other words, the preferred be psychologically best path.
Dynamic concepts :
In Lewins system, dynamic concept have the function of enabling one to determine which of the possible psychological events will occur.
The concept of tension system :
There exists a definite relation between tension systems of the person-and certain properties of the psychological environment. The concept of 'tension system' played a central role in Lewin's theory, and it has promoted a series of experiments on recall and resumption of interrupted activities, substitute activities, and satiation.
Zeigarnik (1927) and many others have conducted experiments in which subjects were given a series of tasks to perform and then prevented from completing half of them (selected at random). Later, the subjects were asked to recall what tasks they had performed. The results were presented in the form of a quotient, commonly called the Zeigarnik quotient (ZQ).
Zeigarnik predicted a quotient of greater than one i.e, more recall of unfinished. tasks than cornpleted tasks. The obtained quotient was approximately l.9, clearly supporting Lewin's assumptions.
The various effects of tension on psychological process provide criteria for developing insight into the social and group factors which produce individual motivation and facilitate the reduction of individual tension.
Psychological Ecology :
Barler stated that "ecology is concerned with the naturally occurring environment of entities". Specific behavior settings tend to elicit standard pattern of behavior because of direct physical or social forces acting on behavior (narrow passageways make people walk in a file; soldiers on a drill field are required to walk in steps with one another).
Barker and Wright (1955) developed an extensive category system which they ) employed to characterize behavior settings. They used six major category dimensions: occupancy time, Penetration, action patterns mechanism, richness and centrality.
'Occupancy time' refers to the total number of hours people spend in different behavior settings. 'Penetration.' of behavior settings refers to the degree to which its occupants have involvement and responsibility in t~e setting. 'Action patterns' refer to the typical 'behavior patterns associated with particular behavior settings. 'Behavior mechanistic' refer to the molecular features of behavior: affective behavior, gross motor setting' refers to the variety of action patterns and behavior mechanisms that occur in the behavior setting.
Concepts Dealing with change in the Psychological environment :
Level of Aspiration :
Level of aspiration may be defined the degree of difficulty of attainment of the goal toward which the person is striving. The concept of level of aspiration is relevant only if t.here is a perceived range of difficulty in the attainment of possible goals.
A common sequence of events in the experimental studies for level of aspiration
are:
1) A subject plays a game, or performs a task in .which he can obtain a score (for eg, throwing darts at a target).
2) After playing the game and obtaining a given score, he is asked to tell what score he will undertake to make the next time he plays.
3) He then plays the game again and achieves another score.
4) He reacts to his second performance with feelings of success or failure, with a continuing or new level of aspiration etc. Socially induced changes:
Lewin distinguished between changes due to forces, 'which are "imposed' on the individual's and changes which reflect directly the individual's own needs. Relevant to ·this distinction is the concept of 'power field'. A power field is an inducing field; it can induce changes in the life space within its area of influences.
French and Raven, examining the bases of social power, described five varieties: reward power, whose basis is the ability to reward; coercive power, whose basis is the ability to punish; legitimate power, which stems from internalized values in person that dictate that he has an obligation to accept others attempt to influence him; referent power, which is based on the identification of person with other; and expert power, which is based on the attribution of greater information or expertness to the influencing agent by the person being influenced.
Social Perception :
Hieder (1958) applied the term 'heteronymous event' to the phenomena referred to by the concept power field, and more broadly to all changes whose source does not lie in the person but in the environment. He pointed out that the psychological significance of a heteronymous eyent is very much influenced by its perceived sources. Thus, an individual is more likely to be angry when someone steps on his toes if he sees this event as having a source in the intentions of the other person, than if he sees it as one of those things which happen in a crowded bus. The focus in the study of social perception, as Heider defined it, is not so much the study of social influences on the perception of the physical world, but rather the study of the conditions which influence one's perception of other people (groups, for example) and which determine the characteristics and relations that one attributes to them.
ACTION RESEARCH AND GROUP DYNAMICS
Lewin focused his attention on the individual in his social environment. He analyzed the social influences playing upon the child, the differences in national character between Americans and Germans, the socio-psychological problems of being a member of the minority groups and the situations of the adolescents. These diverse studies stimulated an interest in the study of the conditions which affect group life.
Lewin's work on-social psychology reflected two basic personal orientations which Lippit 1947 has summed up in the term 'Scientific Citizen'. Action research and group dynamics, two terms which are closely associated with the work of Kurt Lewin in social psychology, in a sense reflect each of Lewin's personal orientations.
Action Research :
By working ·closely with various social agencies, educational institutions, and industries, Lewin was able to stimulate a number of field experiments on such important topics as leadership training and group productivity.
Group Dynamics :
Lewin's work in social psychology not only stimulated theoretical and experimental research in group dynamic; it also gave rise to an 'applied group dynamics'. The National Training Laboratories which has become one of the key institutions concerned with the application of behavioral science to social practices, was initiated in 194 7 with cosponsorship of Lewin's Research center for group dynamics and has been very much influenced by Lewin's ideas. The articles published in this center emphasize the importance reeducation and change
SUMMARY
In the 'field theory', basic assumption is that the properties of any event are determined by its relation to the system of events of which it is a component and that "change here are now depend on changes in the immediate neighborhood at a time just past".The 'field theory in psychology can be primarily attributed to the work of Kurt Lewin and his students.
The meta theory of Lewin's theory has following approaches -Psychological approach, an emphasis on the total situation, systematic rather than historical causation,, the constructive rather than classifactory approach, the dynamic approach and mathematics and field theory.
In these approach, Lewin stresses that psychological events must be explained in psychological terms and that environment is also important for a person's behavior.
The basic concepts of field theory Kurt Lewin are life space which has person and environment interaction, structural concepts, dynamic concepts which has tension system and psychological ecology, which has 'occupancy time', penetration, action patterns, behavior mechanisms and richness of behavior setting.
Later concepts dealing with change in the psychological environment were discussed in which level of aspiration, socially induced changes and social perception were covered which influence the changes in environment.
In the last section, action research and group dynamics, the implications of Lewin's theory on the further investigations and also the research generated from this theory are discussed.