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The Science of Social Influence

Advances and Future Progress

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Part of the Frontiers of Social Psychology series

The contributions to this volume capture the thrill of current work on social influence, as well as providing a tutorial on the scientific and technical aspects of this research. The volume teaches the student to:

  • Learn how to conduct lab, field and case research on social influence through example by leading researchers
  • Find out about the latest discoveries including the status of research on social influence tactics, dissonance theory, conformity, and resistance to influence
  • Discover how seemingly complex issues such as power, rumors, group and minority influence and norms can be investigated using the scientific method
  • Apply knowledge to current influence campaigns to find out what works and what does not.

The Science of Social Influence is the perfect core or complementary text for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in courses such as Attitudes and Attitude Change, Communications, Research Methods and, of course, Social Influence.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Anthony R. Pratkanis, Social Influence Research. Chapter 2. Anthony R. Pratkanis, Social Influence Analysis: An Index of Tactics. Chapter 3. Eric S. Knowles & Dan Riner, Omega Approaches to Persuasion: Overcoming Resistance. Chapter 4. Elliot Aronson, The Use of Dissonance in Self-persuasion. Chapter 5. Dariusz Dolinski, Emotional See-saw. Chapter 6. Jerry Burger, Fleeting Attraction and Compliance with Requests. Chapter 7. Noah Goldstein & Robert B. Cialdini, Using Social Norms as a Lever of Social Influence. Chapter 8. Paul Nail & Geoff MacDonald, On the Development of the Social Response Context Model. Chapter 9. Christie Struckman & Marlene E. Turner, Social Influence in Groups. Chapter 10. Carsten K. W. De Dreu, Minority Dissent, Attitude Change, and Group Performance. Chapter 11. Nicholas DiFonzo & Prashant Bordia, Toward a Dynamic Social Impact Theory of Rumors: Individual and Network Level Factors in Spread. Chapter 12. Roderick Kramer, Self-defeating Influence Behavior: A Social Cognitive Analysis of Leader Misuse of Power. Chapter 13. Brad J. Sagarin & Sarah W. Wood, Resistance to Influence

Author Biography

Anthony R. Pratkanis earned his Ph.D. in 1984 from the famed social psychology program at the Ohio State University. His research program has investigated such topics as the delayed effects of persuasion, attitudes and memory, groupthink, affirmative action, subliminal persuasion, mass communications, source credibility, persuasion and democracy, economic fraud, the use of influence in international conflicts, and a variety of influence tactics such as the pique technique, phantoms, the projection tactic, the 1-in-5 prize tactic, and altercasting.

He has appeared in the mass media over 500 times as an expert on social influence processes, has been called as an expert witness in numerous advertising deceptiveness cases, and served as a consultant to AARP, NASD, and other law enforcement and civic groups on countering the undue influence used in fraud crimes and to the United States military on countering the propaganda of terrorists and dictators.

He is the co-author (with Elliot Aronson) of Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion and (with Doug Shadel) of Weapons of Fraud: A Source Book for Fraud Fighters.

Anthony Pratkanis is the founding editor of Social Influence, a new scientific journal from Psychology Press.