The Dynamics of Persuasion

Richard M. Perloff, Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Political Science at Cleveland State University, USA, is a nationally recognized scholar of persuasion and psychological perceptions of media. His Dynamics of Persuasion, first published in 1993, has emerged as a major scholarly textbook in the field. His articles on communication theories and psychological perceptions of news have appeared in Communication Theory, Communication Research, and Mass Communication and Society. A dedicated teacher, he has received teaching awards at Cleveland State University.

Part 1: Foundations 1. Introduction to Persuasion 2. Foundations of Persuasion 3. Historical, Scientific, and Ethical Foundations Part 2: The Nature of Attitudes 4. Attitudes: Definition and Structure 5. Attitudes, Behavior, and the Keys to Persuasion 6. Attitude Functions 7. The Power of Our Passions: Theory and Research on Strong Attitudes 8. Automatic Attitudes, Priming, and Prejudice 9. Attitude Measurement Part 3: Changing Attitudes and Behavior 10. Processing Persuasive Communications 11. "Who Says It": Charisma, Authority, and the Controversial Milgram Study 12. "Who Says It": Credibility and Social Attractiveness 13. Fundamentals of the Message 14. Emotional Message Appeals: Fear and Guilt 15. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Part 4: Persuasive Communication Contexts 16. Interpersonal Persuasion 17. Advertising, Marketing, and Persuasion 18. Health Communication Campaigns