USAF 1.3.23

To Whom It May Concern:

You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:

Copies of all records, documents, and communications responsive to Dr. Leon Festinger (May 8, 1919 - February 11, 1989) between the years of 1950 and 1960. Dr. Festinger was a professor of sociology, notably at Stanford University (1955-1968), where he developed and wrote about the concept of cognitive dissonance. However, between 1950 and 1960, Dr. Festinger consulted on research projects for the United States Air Force (USAF) at the Air Force Research Center (AFRC). Per a collection of Dr. Festinger's papers held at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, he evaluated USAF-funded social science projects over a seven-year period, from 1950 through 1957, and oversaw at least two such projects directly, "Research on Ideology Change Through Forced Compliance" and "Some Attempts to Measure Tolerance for Dissonance", in 1957 and 1958. Given Dr. Festinger's work on the subject of cognitive dissonance, any research he may have conducted on behalf of the USAF is of immense public interest, such that records (i.e., correspondence, reports, etc.) generated during this period may help academics and public researchers better understand how Dr. Festinger's outside consulting work may have influenced his professional career.

There is no expectation of a violation of Dr. Festinger's privacy, as he passed away in 1989. I have attached a reproduction of Dr. Festinger's obituary, published in The New York Times on February 12, 1989. Additionally, there is no expectation that this request will interfere with any ongoing operations, nor should it reveal any current trade or defense secrets. Dr. Festinger's work with the AFRC occurred over sixty years ago.

I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media, with bylines including Covert Action Magazine, Janata Weekly, and Philly Voice. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $100. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Dear Ms. Oaks,

This communication is in reference to case number 2023-01334-F.

Dr. Leon Festinger worked for or corresponded with a number of the Air Force's human resources research offices between 1950 and 1960; these include the Human Resources Research Center, the Human Resources Research Laboratories, the Human Resources Research Institute, and the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center.

My request includes records for the following contract: AF 41(657)-140, administered by the Office of Social Science Programs, Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, Stead Air Force Base, under research and development project number 7739, between July 1957 and December 1958.

The contractor for AF 41(657)-140 was Leland Stanford Junior University, aka Stanford University, and Dr. Festinger was the principal investigator.

Dr. Festinger and Dr. Elliot Aronson completed a Wright Air Development Center technical report, WADC-TR-58-492 (ASTIA document no. AD 207 337), on research completed for AF 41(657)-140 which was published by the Personnel Laboratory at the Wright Air Development Center, Air Research and Development Command, Lackland Air Force Base, in December 1958.

Therefore, I am requesting all records, i.e., reports, correspondence, etc., germane to Leon Festinger for AF 41(657)-140 and the aforementioned offices between January 01, 1950 and December 31, 1960.

Once again, I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii).

Dr. Festinger is considered one of the fathers of modern social psychology, yet despite this, his work for the military, specifically the Air Force, has been not been disclosed previously. Any research conducted on behalf of these institutions would provide clarification both for how the military may have shaped his research and its role in funding social science research, with particular concern for research priorities, during the Cold War more broadly.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Dear Ms. Oaks,

This communication is in reference to case number 2023-01334-F.

We spoke today, Friday, June 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. and you requested I re-send you a communication I sent on March 16, 2023. As requested, the information contained in that email is as follows:

My request includes records for the following contract: AF 41(657)-140, administered by the Office of Social Science Programs, Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, Stead Air Force Base, under research and development project number 7739, between July 1957 and December 1958.

The contractor for AF 41(657)-140 was Leland Stanford Junior University, aka Stanford University, and Dr. Leon Festinger was the principal investigator.

Dr. Festinger and Dr. Elliot Aronson completed a Wright Air Development Center technical report, WADC-TR-58-492 (ASTIA document no. AD 207 337), on research completed for AF 41(657)-140 which was published by the Personnel Laboratory at the Wright Air Development Center, Air Research and Development Command, Lackland Air Force Base, in December 1958.

Dr. Festinger worked for or corresponded with a number of the Air Force's human resources research offices between 1950 and 1960; these include the Human Resources Research Center, the Human Resources Research Laboratories, the Human Resources Research Institute, and the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center.

Therefore, I am requesting all records, i.e., reports, correspondence, etc., germane to Leon Festinger for AF 41(657)-140 and the aforementioned offices between January 01, 1950 and December 31, 1960.

Once again, I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii).

Dr. Festinger is considered one of the fathers of modern social psychology, yet despite this, his work for the military, and specifically the Air Force, has been not been disclosed publicly. Any research conducted on behalf of these institutions would provide clarification both for how the military may have shaped his research and its role in funding social science research programs, with particular concern for research priorities during the Cold War.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and thank you for your guidance through this process.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Dear Ms. Oaks,

This communication is in reference to case number 2023-01334-F.

Per our most recent discussion on July 10, 2023, I am requesting copies of the following documents:

• Contract AF 41(657)-140, administered by the Office of Social Science Programs, Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, Stead Air Force Base, under research and development project number 7739, between January 1957 and December 1958. The contractor for AF 41(657)-140 was Leland Stanford Junior University, aka Stanford University;

• Statement of work for contract AF 41(657)-140, R&D project number 7739;

• Final report for research project labeled "Research on Ideology Change Through Forced Compliance", completed by Dr. Leon Festinger on behalf of Leland Stanford Junior University and issued to the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center as part of R&D project number 7739, in September 1958.

Once again, I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii).

Dr. Festinger is considered one of the fathers of modern social psychology, yet despite this, his work for the military, and specifically the Air Force, has been not been disclosed publicly. Any research conducted on behalf of these institutions would help to clarify both for how the military may have shaped his research and its role in funding social science research programs, with particular concern for research priorities during the Cold War.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and thank you for your guidance through this process.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Hello Roxanne,

Thank you for your continued partnership on this request. Please know that the responsive documents sent on 3/19/2024 were unrelated to the public records request sent on 1/3/2023. The following file name, although named as such, does not refer to this request regarding Dr. Leon Festinger: https://cdn.muckrock.com/foia_files/2024/03/19/2024-02863-F_Skvarla.pdf.

Please advise at your earliest convenience.

Thank You,

MuckRock Staff