Daryl J. Bem is a noted social psychologist at Cornell University, USA, and the originator of the self-perception theory of attitude change. Bem received a BA from Reed College in physics in 1960. He later dropped out of graduate study in physics at MIT to pursue social psychology, for which he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1964. He has also carried out research on Psi phenomena (a technical term for "ESP"), group decision making, handwriting analysis, sexual orientation, and personality theory and assessment. Social psychology is the study of the nature and causes of human social behavior, with an emphasis on how people think towards each other and how they relate to each other. ... For other uses of the name Cornell, see Cornell (disambiguation). ... Self-perception theory is an account of attitude change developed by psychologist Daryl Bem. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... Reed College is a liberal arts college with 1341 students as of the fall of 2004 (45% men and 55% women), located in Portland, Oregon in the quiet Eastmoreland neighborhood. ... When stuff moves. ... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a research institution and university located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts along the Charles River and across from Bostons Back Bay district. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... University of Michigan, Ann Arbor The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public coeducational university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... Psi has multiple meanings: Psi (Ψ ψ) is a letter of the Greek alphabet. ... ESP can mean Extra-sensory perception Effective Sensory Projection Electric Soft Parade, a British band Electronic Shock Protection in Sony CD players Electronic Stability Program also known as Electronic Skid Prevention Electrostatic Precipitator . ... Decision making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. ... Graphology is the study of handwriting and its connection to behavior, personal information and other human traits. ... Sexual orientation is the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and feelings, the gender(s) one is primarily oriented towards. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Bem is perhaps best known for his theory of "self-perception" as the most oft-cited competitor to Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory. According to the self-perception account, people infer their attitudes from their own behavior much as an outside behavior might, so a person asked to give a pro-Fidel Castro speech would subsequently view themselves as being more in favor of Castro. Leon Festinger (born May 8, 1919 - February 11, 1989) was a social psychologist from New York City who became famous for his Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. ... Cognitive dissonance is a theory proposed by the psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957. ... Cuban President Fidel Castro Fidel Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926), has led Cuba since 1959, when, leading the 26th of July Movement, he overthrew the regime of Fulgencio Batista, and transformed Cuba into the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere. ...

He is also known in parapsychology for his defense of the ganzfeld experiment as empirical evidence of a mild, but significant "psi", more commonly known as psychic, phenomenon. Parapsychology is the study of the evidence involving phenomena where a person seems to affect or to gain information about something through a means not currently explainable within the framework of mainstream, conventional science. ... The ganzfeld (total field) experiment uses audio and visual sensory deprivation to test for extra-sensory perception (ESP). ... Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ... Parapsychology is the study of the evidence involving phenomena where a person seems to affect or gain information about something through a means not currently explainable within the framework of mainstream, conventional science. ...

External links

• Official site
• Publications online