Field Theory & Action Research

Kurt Lewin devised a methodology to scientifically explain human behavior and explore new acts that can change existing behaviors. Lewin's psychology aimed to explore psychological phenomena such as human thoughts and emotions that occur in the inner realm of humans. This is far from figuring out the truth through logical analysis or empirical methods that logical positivists claim. Lewin's action-research maintained the form of scientific thinking that explained according to causal laws, while taking psychological phenomena unique to psychology as the material of scientific inquiry. In order to understand action-research, it is first necessary to understand the field theory that is the basis of human behavior.

Field Theory

Kurt Lewin's action-research starts from field theory. Field is a combination of the physical environment and psychological environment that exist around a person in an interdependent manner in the individual's consciousness, and constitutes a person's subjective life space. An individual's behavior depends on the field in which he or she is placed. Life space consists of all the psychological facts that exist around an individual. Facts are not 'objects or events that exist independently outside' as said in logical positivism. Facts are objects or events interpreted by individual thoughts or emotions. Therefore, the facts Lewin refers to are psychological and subjective. Life space is divided into physical environment and psychological environment. The physical environment is the foundation of a person's living space, and the psychological environment can be seen as an individual's emotions or thoughts. When this physical environment and psychological environment are combined, it becomes life space, and the interdependent combination of life space in consciousness is field. Field is different for each person. Even if two people exist in the same time and space, the facts and life space perceived by each person are different.

In order to scientifically explain a person's behavior, it is necessary to understand how that person's field is constructed. Lewin regarded it as ‘objective’ to exclude the subjectivity of the researcher and grasp the individual field. He also called fact-finding identifying the psychological elements that make up a person's field in order to objectively describe a situation. Fact-finding can be said to identify the situation in which an individual is located from his or her point of view by identifying the individual's field.

To summarize, Lewin's field theory can be summarized as B = f(P, E). Here, B is behavior, P is person, E is environment, and f is the lawful relationship between behavior and the field composed of the person and the environment. According to this formula, an individual's behavior is determined by the surrounding life space (field).

Action-Research

Kurt Lewin developed action-research to rationally perform social practice based on field theory. Social practice is the use of scientific research methods to solve social problems. Reasonable problem solving is executed through overall planning and action planning, and the process of planning feedback or next-level actions is repeated according to the results. In this process, action-research can be utilized. Action-research is a part included in social practice, and action suitable for solving social problems can be derived through scientific research. Research methods that can be applied to action-research can be divided into two major categories. One is the interview method, which is for fact-finding to diagnose the specificity of the problem situation. Through the interview method, fact-finding can be done and individual fields can be identified, but solutions cannot be presented. So, another necessary research method is the comparative experiment method. The comparative experiment method is to find precise actions for social change. Conversely, the method of survey or poll taking is not suitable for action-research. This is because action-research based on field theory needs to understand the life-space of individuals, not groups. Action-research is a system of organic inquiry. Action-research can be divided into general law study on group life to find specific actions for group change, research on living space through fact-finding, and study to find specific actions for group change. Among these, the former two are absolutely necessary for the latter one, and action-research can be achieved only when all elements are combined.

Action-research should be conducted by an external researcher. This is because if the practitioner in charge of solving the problem performs action-research, there is room for a subjective view of the problem. The researcher should exclude the subjective point of view and look at the situation from the perspective of the person concerned and explore specific actions to solve the problem. In addition, an action-research organization that can objectively look at the situation inside the organization must be set aside. Action-research organizations should consider issues such as members' attitudes, housing, law, economy, politics, and class together, and approach the problem in an integrated manner across psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, and economics.

According to Lewin's point of view, in order to change members' behavior, it can be seen that an approach based on the individual field is required

How to bring about behavioral change?

According to Lewin's point of view, in order to change members' behavior, it can be seen that an approach based on the individual field is required. Based on this, it can be concluded that specific actions that enable change can be derived. Field theory scientifically explains individual behavior and at the same time contains the possibility of change. An individual's behavior can appear affected by the field, and if the field changes, the individual's behavior also changes. For Field's change, the state, personality, and ideology constituting the individual's psychological environment must be changed, and Lewin said that the change in ideology is particularly important. This is because the change in action-ideology is an important starting point in that behavior can change only when new values are systematically accepted and based on this, the surrounding environment is perceived as new facts. To sum up, action-research is to figure out how an individual's field is formed, what needs to be changed among the elements that make up the field, and what and how to change it. Action-research is a methodology for solving problems existing in an organization or society and eliciting changes in the behavior of members, and it can be said to be an essential element for effective implementation of social practice.

Change management for innovation resistance, like 'rational social management' proposed by Lewin (1946, p. 38), is an 'action' to solve the behavioral problem of innovation resistance. It is necessary to spirally go through the process of planning, executing the plan of the action, and reconnaissance or fact-finding. This rational change management is essential to solving the problem of innovation resistance through the practice of intergroup relations between the innovation-accepting group and the innovation-resistant group within the organization as well as the practice of the relationship between individuals and organizations

Figure 1. A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Organizational Culture

Source: Seo (2020), pp.15-16.

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References

Lewin, K. (1946) ‘Action research and minority problems’, Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), pp. 34-46.

Lewin, K. (1948a) ‘Action research and minority problems’, Resolving Social Conflict, New York: Harper & Row. pp. 201-216.

Seo G. W. (2020) ‘A New Past of Action Research: from the Perspective of ‘action-research’ of Kurt Lewin’, The Jounal of Anthropology of Education, 23(3), pp. 1-46.