When Prophecy Fails: A Social And Psychological Study Of A Modern Group That Predicted The Destruction Of The World
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What happens to a group of true believers when the apocalypse they fervently predicted simply does not come? When Prophecy Fails chronicles the remarkable infiltration and observation of a mid-century American doomsday cult, a group convinced that flying saucers would arrive to spare them from a catastrophic flood set to engulf the Earth. Psychologists Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, and Stanley Schachter embedded themselves within this tight-knit community, meticulously documenting the psychological aftermath when the appointed date passed without incident — and how, paradoxically, many members emerged with their faith strengthened rather than shattered. This groundbreaking work introduced the now-legendary concept of cognitive dissonance, arguing that when reality collides violently with deeply held belief, the human mind will perform extraordinary contortions to preserve its worldview, often doubling down on the original conviction. Written with the precision of social science and the narrative tension of a suspense story, it remains one of the most influential and provocative studies in the history of social psychology. Decades after its initial publication, its conclusions resonate with unsettling clarity in an age of misinformation and mass belief — leaving the reader to wonder just how immune any of us truly are to the same psychological forces.
Author: Leon Festinger / Henry W. Riecken / Stanley Schachter
Format: Paperback
Genre: Psychology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What happens to a group of true believers when the apocalypse they fervently predicted simply does not come? When Prophecy Fails chronicles the remarkable infiltration and observation of a mid-century American doomsday cult, a group convinced that flying saucers would arrive to spare them from a catastrophic flood set to engulf the Earth. Psychologists Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, and Stanley Schachter embedded themselves within this tight-knit community, meticulously documenting the psychological aftermath when the appointed date passed without incident — and how, paradoxically, many members emerged with their faith strengthened rather than shattered. This groundbreaking work introduced the now-legendary concept of cognitive dissonance, arguing that when reality collides violently with deeply held belief, the human mind will perform extraordinary contortions to preserve its worldview, often doubling down on the original conviction. Written with the precision of social science and the narrative tension of a suspense story, it remains one of the most influential and provocative studies in the history of social psychology. Decades after its initial publication, its conclusions resonate with unsettling clarity in an age of misinformation and mass belief — leaving the reader to wonder just how immune any of us truly are to the same psychological forces.