Robert Zajonc

Robert Zajonc (November 23, 1923 – December 3, 2008) was a Polish-born American social psychologist who is known for his decades of work on a wide range of social and cognitive processes. One of the most influential and productive psychologists of the 20th century, Zajonc's theories have shaped understanding of the ways in which social forces can influence individual cognition and behavior.

Early Life and Education

Zajonc was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1923. He survived the Holocaust and later emigrated to the United States, where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan in 1955. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from the same institution in 1958.

Career

Zajonc's career was marked by a series of significant contributions to the field of social psychology. He is perhaps best known for his work on the "mere exposure effect," a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This work has had a profound impact on understanding of attitudes and attitude change.

Zajonc also made significant contributions to the study of emotion. He proposed that emotions can precede and in fact shape cognitive processes, a view that challenged the prevailing belief that cognition always comes before emotion. This theory, known as the "affect primacy hypothesis," has been influential in shaping research on emotion and cognition.

In addition to his work on the mere exposure effect and the affect primacy hypothesis, Zajonc conducted research on a wide range of other topics, including social facilitation, the relationship between birth order and intelligence, and the effects of population density on behavior.

Legacy

Zajonc's work has had a lasting impact on the field of social psychology. His theories and research have shaped understanding of a wide range of social and cognitive processes, and his work continues to be cited and built upon by researchers in the field.

See Also

• Social Psychology
• Emotion
• Cognition