Customer Reviews

The Science of Social Influence: Advances and Future Progress (Frontiers of Social Psychology)

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Whether you are a social psychologist or someone who wants to become more persuasive in the workplace, you will find this book to be a worthy investment.

Anthony Pratkanis, a social psychologist who is frequently cited in the persuasion literature, brings together prominent names in the field who cover a lot of ground, with each chapter devoted to a different topic. This book follows Pratkanis' earlier book about social influence, the popular "Age of Propaganda," which he wrote with Elliot Aronson.

Two things set this text apart. One is that unlike some books about influence that were written by consultants, this book is grounded in the rich behavioral psychology research that provides insight to why people think and behave as they do. The second distinguishing characteristic of this text is that the material is understandable to people outside of academia, such as the business professional who has a serious interest in learning about the principles that lie behind the influence process.

Pratkanis begins the book with a comprehensive chapter about useful tactics you can use in three different ways: when you are creating an atmosphere where persuasion can occur, when you are crafting the message, and when you are trying to tap into your audience's emotions.

The book will help you understand how social norms affect our ability to persuade others, how we can overcome resistance, why consistency is so important to people in our culture, and why leaders misuse their influence.