The Dynamics of Persuasion provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to persuasive communication and attitude change. Offering a thorough discussion of classic and contemporary theories of persuasion, this text explores the structure and functions of attitudes, consistency between attitude and behavior, and issues in attitude measurement. Examining persuasion through media, interpersonal, and psychological lenses, author Richard M. Perloff systematically investigates the impact of persuasive communication on attitudes toward a variety of topics, including health, politics, and racial prejudice. In addition to presenting persuasion theory and research, he provides numerous examples of persuasion in action, demonstrating the role of persuasion research in everyday life. Written in a highly accessible and clear style. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Preface	XV
Part 1 Foundations
Chapter 1 Introduction to Persuasion	3
Persuasion: Constancies and Changes	5
The Sheer Number of Persuasive Communications Has Grown Exponentially	6
Persuasive Messages Travel Faster Than Ever Before	6
Persuasion Has Become Institutionalized	12
Persuasive Communication Has Become More Subtle and Devious	12
Persuasive Communication Is More Complex and Impersonal	14
Foundations of Persuasion	15
Defining Persuasion	16
Persuasion Is a Symbolic Process	17
Persuasion Involves an Attempt to Influence	18
People Persuade Themselves	19
Persuasion Involves the Transmission of a Message	20
Persuasion Requires Free Choice	22
Persuasion Versus Coercion	22
The Bad Boy of Persuasion	33
Understanding Persuasive Communication Effects	34
Historical Review of Persuasion Scholarship	35
Ancient Greece: "It's All Sophos to Me"	36
The First Scientist of Persuasion	37
A Breezy Tour of Rome and the Centuries That Followed	38
Rhetorical Developments in the United States	39
Origins of the Social Scientific Approach	40
The Contemporary Study of Persuasion	42
Seeing the Big Picture	45
Persuasion and Ethics	47
The Present Approach	50
Conclusions	52
Chapter 2 Attitudes: Definition and Structure	55
The Concept of Attitude	57
Characteristics of Attitudes	59
Attitudes Are Learned	59
Attitudes Are Global, Typically Emotional, Evaluations	60
Attitudes Influence Thought and Action	61
Values and Beliefs	62
Structure of Attitudes	68
Expectancy-Value Approach	69
Affect, Symbols, and Ideologies	71
The Role of Ideology	73
Attitude Structure and Persuasion	74
Are Attitudes Internally Consistent?	75
Intra-Attitudinal Consistency	75
Balancing Things Out	77
The Psychology of Strong Attitudes	81
Attitudes and Information Processing	84
Social Judgment Theory	84
Attitude Accessibility	96
Implicit Attitudes	103
Conclusions	105
Chapter 3 Attitudes: Functions and Consequences	109
Functions of Attitudes	109
Overview	109
Attitudes and Persuasion	113
Attitudes and Behavior	120
Historical Background	121
Situational Factors	122
Characteristics of the Person	124
Characteristics of the Attitude	126
Models of Attitude-Behavior Relations	129
Theory of Reasoned Action	130
Theory of Planned Behavior	135
Accessibility Theory	136
Implications for Persuasion	138
Judging Consistency	139
Conclusions	141
Chapter 4 Attitude Measurement	143
Overview	143
Questionnaire Measures of Attitude	146
Likert Scale	146
Guttman Scale	147
Semantic Differential	147
Pitfalls in Attitude Measurement	149
Policy Implications	153
Asking Good Questions	155
Open-Ended Measures	158
Indirect Methods to Measure Attitudes	159
Conclusions	163
Part 2 Changing Attitudes and Behavior
Chapter 5 Processing Persuasive Communications	167
Historical Foundations	169
Elaboration Likelihood Model	173
Main Principles	180
Motivation to Process	182
Ability	189
Peripheral Processing in Real Life	190
The Oprah Book Club Effect	190
The Electoral Road Show	191
Jargon	193
Central Processing	194
Complications and Criticisms	197
Criticisms and Reconciliations	199
Conclusions	203
Chapter 6 "Who Says It": Source Factors in Persuasion	209
Understanding the Communicator	213
Authority	214
Experimental Procedures and Results	214
Explanations	216
Additional Issues	218
Applications	219
Credibility	221
Core Characteristics	222
Role of Context	224
A Theoretical Account	227
Social Attractiveness	232
Likability	233
Similarity	234
Physical Attractiveness	235
Conclusions	239
Chapter 7 Message Factors	247
Understanding the Message	247
Message Structure	248
One or Two Sides?	249
Conclusion Drawing	250
Continuing Issues	251
Evidence	251
The Other Side of Evidence: The Case of Case Histories	255
Summary	258
Fear Appeals	263
The Psychology of Fear	265
A Theory of Fear Appeals	271
Applying Theory to the Real World	275
Summary	280
Language	280
Speed of Speech	281
Powerless Versus Powerful Speech	283
Language Intensity	286
Political Language	291
Conclusions	294
Chapter 8 Personality and Persuasion	303
The Myth of the Vulnerable Other	303
Summary	306
Need for Cognition	306
Self-Monitoring	310
Dogmatism	314
Additional Issues	314
Other Personality Factors	315
Conclusions	316
Chapter 9 Cognitive Dissonance Theory	321
Foundations	323
Dissonance and Decision Making	325
Dissonance and Expenditure of Effort	328
Applications	330
Induced Compliance	331
Applications	335
Explanations and Controversies	336
Unpleasant Consequences + Responsibility = Dissonance	337
Dissonance Occurs When You Are Concerned That You Look Bad in Front of Others	338
Dissonance Involves a Threat to Self-Esteem	338
It's Not Dissonance, but Self-Perception	339
The Dissonance Debate: Intellectual Issues	340
Summary	341
Dissonance and Persuasion	345
Conclusions	347
Chapter 10 Interpersonal Persuasion	353
Foot-in-the-Door	355
Why Does It Work?	356
When Does It Work?	357
Door-in-the-Face	358
Why Does It Work?	359
When Does It Work?	364
Applications	364
Other Compliance Techniques	365
Summary	374
Compliance-Gaining	374
Contextual Influences	377
Individual Differences	379
Complications	381
Summary and Applications	383
Ethical Issues	388
Conclusions	389
Part 3 Persuasion in American Society
Chapter 11 Advertising	393
The Subliminal Myth	395
Definition	396
Effects	400
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and Beyond	402
The Psychology of Low Involvement	405
Mere Exposure	406
The Magic of Association	409
Peripheral Processing	423
High Involvement	424
Summary	429
The Role of Personality	430
Advertising Ethics	432
Conclusions	433
Chapter 12 Communication Campaigns	441
Thinking About Campaigns	443
Locating Effects	446
Theoretical Perspectives	446
Diffusion Theory	448
Social Marketing	452
Campaign Effects	458
The McGruff Crime Prevention Project	460
Antismoking and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Campaigns	462
State Antismoking Campaigns	465
Macrosocial Picture	466
Antidrinking Campaigns	467
The Designated Driver Campaign	468
Social Norms Marketing	469
Drug Prevention Campaigns	476
Complicating Factors	479
Values and Ethics	482
Conclusions	485
References	487
Subject Index	533
Author Index	551

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.