Fritz Heider
Early Life and Education
Fritz Heider was born on February 19, 1896, in Vienna, Austria. He was the second child of Moritz Heider, a successful architect, and his wife Eugenie. Heider's early education took place in Vienna, where he developed an interest in psychology and philosophy. Heider attended the University of Graz, where he studied under Alexius Meinong, a prominent psychologist and philosopher of the time. Heider completed his doctoral degree in 1920, with a dissertation on part-whole relationships in visual perception.
Career and Contributions to Psychology
After completing his doctoral degree, Heider moved to Berlin, where he worked with the Gestalt psychologists, including Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Köhler. Heider's work with the Gestalt psychologists greatly influenced his thinking and later work. In 1927, Heider moved to the United States, where he joined the faculty of the University of Kansas. He remained at the University of Kansas for the rest of his career, retiring in 1965.
Heider's most significant contribution to psychology is his work on attribution theory. Heider's attribution theory, also known as the theory of naive or commonsense psychology, suggests that people tend to attribute others' behavior either to their internal disposition or the external situation. This theory has had a profound impact on social psychology, influencing subsequent theories and research on attribution, attitudes, and perceptions.
Heider also made significant contributions to the field of visual perception. He proposed the concept of 'thing' and 'medium', suggesting that people perceive objects ('things') as distinct from their surroundings ('medium'). This concept has influenced research in visual perception and cognitive psychology.
Attribution Theory
Heider's attribution theory is one of his most significant contributions to psychology. Heider proposed that people tend to explain others' behavior by attributing it either to their internal disposition (such as personality traits, motives, or attitudes) or the external situation. This process of attribution is a fundamental part of how we understand and interact with the world.
Heider suggested that people tend to overemphasize dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior, a phenomenon known as the fundamental attribution error. Heider's attribution theory has had a profound impact on social psychology, influencing subsequent theories and research on attribution, attitudes, and perceptions.
Legacy and Impact
Fritz Heider's work has had a profound impact on psychology, particularly in the fields of social psychology and visual perception. His attribution theory has influenced a wide range of research in social psychology, including research on attitudes, perceptions, and interpersonal relations. Heider's work on visual perception has also had a significant impact, influencing research on object perception and cognitive psychology.
Heider's work continues to be influential in psychology. His theories and concepts are widely taught in psychology courses, and his research continues to inspire new research and theory development. Despite his death in 1988, Heider's legacy continues to shape the field of psychology.