The Power of Persuasion

ROBERT LEVINE is Professor and former Chairperson of the Psychology Department at California State University, Fresno. He has published articles in Psychology Today, Discover, American Demographics, NY Times, Utne Reader and American Scientist. He has received awards for his teaching, research and writing, including being named the university's "Outstanding Professor." Dr. Levine has been a Visiting Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil, at Sapporo Medical University in Japan, and at Stockholm University in Sweden. He serves on boards of professional organizations in the U.S. Germany and Taiwan.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

One The Illusion of Invulnerability

Or, How Can Everyone Be Less Gullible Than Everyone Else? 5

Two Whom Do We Trust? Experts, Honesty, and Likability

Or, the Supersalesmen Don’t Look Like Salesmen at All 29

Three Killing You with Kindness

Or, Beware of Strangers Bearing Unexpected Gifts 65

Four The Contrast Principle

Or, How Black Gets Turned into White 91

Five $2 + $2 = $ 5

Or, Learning to Avoid Stupid Mental Arithmetic 113

Six The Hot Button

Or, How Mental Shortcuts Can Lead You into Trouble 137

Seven Gradually Escalating the Commitments

Or, Making You Say Yes by Never Saying No 159

Eight Winning Hearts and Minds

Or, the Road to Perpetual Persuasion 187

Nine Jonestown

Or, the Dark End of the Dark Side of Persuasion 209

Ten The Art of Resistance

Or, Some Unsolicited Advice for Using and Defending against Persuasion 227

Notes 245

Index 267