Now in a revised and expanded second edition, this popular text provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of persuasive messages and their effects. Concepts and methods from communication and social psychology are seamlessly integrated to give students a solid grasp of foundational issues in persuasion research, the core features of persuasive transactions, and major models of persuasive communication. Retaining the clear organization and wealth of concrete examples that distinguished the original text, the second edition has been updated throughout with new data and theoretical developments. Two entirely new chapters cover the role of emotional appeals in persuasive transactions and the nature of resistance to interpersonal influence, among other topics.

Author Biography

James B. Stiff, PhD, is President of Trial Analysts, Incorporated, a litigation consulting firm with offices in Dallas and College Station, Texas. He previously taught at Michigan State University, Arizona State University, and the University of Kansas. Paul A. Mongeau, PhD, is a Professor at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. He previously spent 15 years teaching at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.