The Dynamics of Persuasion: Communication and Attitudes in the Twenty-First Century / Edition 7

by Richard M. Perloff

Overview

Now in its seventh edition, this essential text continues to provide students with a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the study and practice of persuasive communication.

Attuned to the swift changes in the world of persuasion in the twenty-first century, this book covers how theories and research illuminate and adapt to our present digital era, with continued attention to ethical implications and today’s big topics. This new edition features updated definitions of key terms in the field as they relate to present-day practice; an integration of persuasion theories and the ubiquity of online influence; new examples and cases to illustrate persuasive communication’s approach to health campaigns, attitudes, communicator appeals, dissonance, and ethics; and a thorough reflection of the most current scholarship in the field.

The Dynamics of Persuasion, Seventh Edition provides a solid foundation for undergraduate students in communication studies and psychology to grasp the key concepts and practices of persuasive communication today.

The book is complemented by online resources for both instructors and students, including an instructor’s manual, lecture slides, sample test questions, and links to relevant articles and videos illustrating concepts presented in the text. Please visit www.routledge.com/cw/perloff.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367185794
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/15/2020
Series:	Routledge Communication Series
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Richard M. Perloff, Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Political Science at Cleveland State University, 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.

Table of Contents

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. The Power of Our Passsions: Theory and Research on Strong Attitudes 6. Attitudes: Functions and Consequences 7. Attitude Measurement Part 3: Changing Attitudes and Behavior 8. Processing Persuasive Communications 9. "Who Says It": Charisma, Authority, and the Controversial Milgram Study 10. "Who Says It": Credibility and Social Attractiveness 11. Fundamentals of the Message 12. Emotional Message Appeals: Fear and Guilt 13. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Part 4: Persuasive Communication Contexts 14. Interpersonal Persuasion 15. Advertising, Marketing, and Persuasion 16. Health Communication Campaigns

Editorial Reviews

"Rick Perloff has a remarkable talent for unpacking and explaining complex ideas, getting across both the core point and the nuances—while being engaging and entertaining all along the way. And those qualities are on full display in this new edition of Dynamics of Persuasion. Anyone interested in a smart introduction to theory and research about persuasive communication will want to look at this updated classic." – Dr. Daniel J. O'Keefe, Owen L. Coon Professor, Northwestern University Department of Communication Studies

"Dr. Perloff’s Dynamics of Persuasion has been the go-to book for undergraduate and graduate students since its original publication close to 30 years ago. There have been remarkable changes in our understanding of attitudes and persuasion since that original publication. But Dr. Perloff has captured these often-nuanced changes in our thinking across the editions of Dynamics of Persuasion. The 7^th edition continues the tradition of being the most up-to-date and comprehensive textbook in this area." – Dr. Dave Ewoldsen, Professor of Media and Information, Michigan State University

"Perloff presents another edition of the classic book with an abundance of classic theories and persuasion research in contemporary and updated contexts and topics, with particular attention to replication of classic studies and changes that digital and social transformations have brought to the study of persuasion. It is a masterful synthesis of persuasion theory, research, and practice, in a very accessible manner." — Dr. Lijiang Shen, Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences, Penn State University

"Richard Perloff is a great thinker and storyteller on the art and science of persuasion. In the 7th edition of his classic textbook, Dynamics of Persuasion, Perloff readily shows his command on the ever-expanding literature on persuasion and effortlessly brings the research to life through engrossing and accessible writing. This book is a treasure for students and everyone else curious about the human mind and its susceptibility to persuasive communication. Perloff is one of the most notable scholar-writers on the subject of persuasion today." – Dr. Xiaoli Nan, Professor of Communication Science and Director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication, University of Maryland, College Park

"This updated and expanded volume offers an insightful, reflective, and exceedingly accessible look at what we know about persuasion theory and research amid massive transformations in human communication in the digital age. It rethinks the evidence behind many time-honored assumptions and engages with contemporary communication controversies, challenges, and conundrums, all with engaging examples and prose." – Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe, Director of the Health Communication Research Initiative (HCRI) and Director of Graduate Studies in Communication, Cornell University

From the Publisher