Lewin, Kurt (1890–1947)

German-born psychologist. He attempted to analyse behaviour using laboratory techniques. He saw behaviour in terms of forces in the psychological ‘field’ and described individual behaviour in terms of the interaction of internal and environmental psychological forces. He compared, for instance, the effect of democratic and authoritarian behaviour on groups. Lewin was born in Mogilno, Prussia (now Poland). A member of the German Gestalt psychology movement, his particular interests were group dynamics and memory. He emigrated to the United States in 1932, where he taught at Cornell University (1933–35), the University of Iowa (1935–44), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1944–47). He also directed the research centre for group dynamics at MIT.