Carl Iver Hovland was a psychologist working primarily at Yale University and for the US Army during World War II who studied attitude change and persuasion. He first reported the sleeper effect after studying the effects of the Frank Capra propaganda film Why We Fight on soldiers in the Army. In later studies on this subject, Hovland collaborated with Irving Janis who would later become famous for his theory of groupthink. Hovland also developed social judgment theory of attitude change. Carl Hovland thought that the ability of someone to resist persuasion by a certain group depended on your degree of belonging to the group.
Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (born 1912)
On April 16, in the year 1961, Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (born 1912). This event is recorded as a Notable Deaths event in the history of April 16, one of 433 recorded events on this date across all of history.
1 notable person is associated with this event, including Carl Hovland. Learn more below.
Key Facts
- This event took place on April 16, 1961 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Notable Deaths event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
- 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 9 February 2026.
On This Date in History 433
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