Persuasion and influence in American life

1. Persuasion and influence : The necessity and challenge of persuasion ; Persuasion defined ; Five introductory settings ; Persuasion in everyday life ; What these and other persuasion settings suggest ; Three types of communication pt. I. Origins of persuasive practice. 2. The advocate in an open society : Freedom of expression and its limits ; Subduing advocacy in a one-party state ; Weighing the value of public opinion ; How "open" is American society? 3. The advocate and the management of symbols : The nature of language ; Language, interaction, and reality ; Political uses of language ; The changing nature of public and political discourse pt. II. Four perspectives on the nature of persuasion. 4. Persuasion and reasoning : Understanding practical arguments: key distinctions ; Common forms of defective reasoning ; How persuasion and logical argumentation differ 5. Theories and models of source credibility : The three meanings of "credibility" ; Credibility as authority: strategic dimensions 6. The mind in persuasion : Cognitive elements affecting persuasion ; Essential theories and models of persuasion 7. Persuasion, audiences, and social learning : A conceptual baseline: social learning ; Audiences: the generative forces of persuasion ; The audience analysis process ; Advocates, messages, and audiences

pt. III. The contexts of persuasion. 8. Interpersonal persuasion : Dimensions of interpersonal communication ; Variables of interpersonal persuasion ; Contexts of interpersonal persuasion

9. Public and mass persuasion : Public communication and persuasion ; Persuasive campaigns ; Social movements ; Campaign implementation

10. Advertising as persuasion : Advertising today ; What is advertising? ; The evolution of advertising from a communication perspective ; The role of psychology in advertising ; How advertising works ; Advertising as myth ; Common advertising appeals ; How to critique ads ; Criticisms of advertising ; What can I do?

11. Political persuasion : Language, communication, politics, and persuasion ; Characteristics of political communication and persuasion ; Ideology ; The political socialization process ; Forms of political persuasion ; What we can learn from political persuasion ; Politics and trust

pt. IV. Issues and strategies of message preparation. 12. Ethical considerations of persuasion : Ethics, values, and principles ; Communication, ethics, and society ; Considerations for ethical communication ; Areas of special concern

13. Constructing and presenting persuasive messages : Strategic considerations for nondiscursive persuasion ; Strategic considerations of a set presentation ; Two additional considerations for discursive messages.