Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1 Foundations

1 Introduction to Persuasion
Persuasion: Constancies and Changes
Foundations of Persuasion
Defining Persuasion
Persuasion Versus Coercion
The Bad Boy of Persuasion
Understanding Persuasive Communication Effects
Historical Review of Persuasion Scholarship
The Contemporary Study of Persuasion
Seeing the Big Picture
Persuasion and Ethics
The Present Approach
Conclusions

2 Attitudes: Definition and Structure
The Concept of Attitude
Characteristics of Attitudes
Values and Beliefs
Structure of Attitudes
Attitude Structure and Persuasion
Are Attitudes Internally Consistent?
The Psychology of Strong Attitudes
Attitudes and Information Processing
Implicit Attitudes
Conclusions

3 Attitudes: Functions and Consequences
Functions and Attitudes
Attitudes and Persuasion
Attitudes and Behavior
Models of Attitude-Behavior Relations
Implications for Persuasion
Judging Consistency
Conclusions

4 Attitude Measurement
Overview
Questionnaire Measures of Attitude
Pitfalls in Attitude Measurement
Policy Implications
Asking Good Questions
Indirect Methods to Measure Attitudes

Part 2 Changing Attitudes and Behavior

5 Processing Persuasive Communications
Historical Foundations
Elaboration Likelihood Model
Peripheral Processing In Real Life
Central Processing
Complications and Criticisms
Criticisms and Reconciliations
Conclusions

6 "Who Says It": Source Factors in Persuasion
Understanding the Communicator
Conclusions

7 Message Factors
Understanding the Message
Message Structure
Evidence
Fear Appeals
Language
Conclusions

8 Personality and Persuasion
The Myth of the Vulnerable Other
Need for Cognition
Self-Monitoring
Dogmatism
Additional Issues
Other Personality Factors
Conclusions

9 Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Foundations
Dissonance and Decision Making
Dissonance and Expenditure of Effort
Induced Compliance
Explanations and Controversies
The Dissonance Debate: Intellectual Issues
Dissonance and Persuasion
Conclusions

10 Interpersonal Persuasion
Foot-in-the-Door
Door-in-the-Face
Applications
Other Compliance Techniques
Compliance-Gaining
Ethical Issues
Conclusions

Part 3 Persuasion in American Society

11 Advertising
The Subliminal Myth
The Psychology of Low Involvement
High Involvement
The Role of Personality
Advertising Ethics
Conclusions

12 Communication Campaigns
Thinking About Campaigns
Theoretical Perspectives
Campaign Effects
The McGruff Crime Prevention Project
Antismoking and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Campaigns
Antidrinking Campaigns
Drug Prevention Campaigns
Complicating Factors
Values and Ethics
Conclusions

References

Author Index

Subject Index