Persuasive Communication

Providing a cogent, thoughtful integration of research from communications and social psychology, James B. Stiff's new text examines contemporary models of persuasion and connects them with classic approaches and theories. Ideally structured for classroom use, the book defines several essential concepts and draws distinctions among types of persuasive activity, reviews the research methods most common to persuasion investigations, and considers the conditions under which attitudes predict behavior and behaviors affect attitudes. Core features of persuasive transactions, including the characteristics of persuasive messages, the important characteristics of message receivers, and persuasive settings, are explored. The author also examines contemporary models of persuasive communication: social-cognitive models, models of interpersonal influence, and models that have been effectively applied in media influence campaigns.
Intended for students who have a basic understanding of quantitative research methods in the social sciences, this volume is ideal as a primary text for upper-level undergraduate as well as first-year graduate courses in persuasion. It illuminates the work of scholars in communication and social psychology, and is useful for professionals in legal fields, advertising, marketing, and politics, as it provides specific examples from each of these areas and examines models that can be easily applied.