From intellectual imperialism to open system: Reassessing the "Americanization" of social psychology through Festinger's frustration with the SSRC's project on transnational social psychology.

Abstract

This article investigates the development of social psychology post-World War II through the lens of the Committee on Transnational Social Psychology, established in 1963 under the American Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and led by American psychologist Leon Festinger. Initially envisioned as a vehicle for globalizing U.S. experimental social psychology, the Committee aimed to create research hubs worldwide with similarly trained psychologists. However, Festinger's growing dissatisfaction with the Committee's trajectory around 1970 underscores significant challenges to its original objectives. Based on a close reading of archival files and documents from the SSRC and related sources, this article explores these challenges and questions overly simplistic "imperial" interpretations of U.S. philanthropic research funding. It argues that the SSRC's influence, particularly its emphasis on intellectual and personal diversity, played a crucial role in counteracting any straightforward "Americanization." Facilitating the assimilation of different intellectual traditions, European key figures, such as Moscovici, benefited from the SSRC's support and influence, which helped them to gain prominence and shape the Committee's direction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).