Field Theory Kurt Lewin

Type of psychology: Personality
Fields of study: Motivation theory; personality theory; social perception
and cognition
Lewin’s field theory maintains that behavior is a function of the life space, or psychological
reality, of the individual. Individuals are motivated to reduce tensions that
arise in this life space. Lewin’s theory can be used to understand a wide range of everyday
behavior and to suggest strategies for addressing social problems, such as the reduction
of prejudice and the resolution of social conflicts.
Key concepts
• life space
• locomotion
• quasi-stationary equilibrium
• region of life space
• tension
Kurt Lewin was a theorist of everyday life. His field theory attempts to explain
people’s everyday behavior, such as how a waiter remembers an order,
what determines the morale and productivity of a work group, what causes
intergroup prejudice, how a child encounters a new environment, or why
people eat the foods that they do.
For Lewin, what determines everyday behavior is the “life space” of the individual.
The life space represents the psychological reality of the individual;
it is the totality of all psychological facts and social forces that influence
an individual at a given time and place. For example, the life space of a child
entering a novel domain is, for the most part, undifferentiated, and thus results
in exploration on the part of the child. On the other hand, the life
space of an employee at work may be well differentiated and populated with
demands from the employer to produce more goods, from coworkers to follow
a production norm, and from home for more income. There might, additionally,
be physical needs to slow down.