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Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion (Paperback)

~ Anthony Pratkanis (Author), (Author) "In the early 1990s, seventeen-year-old Demetrick James Walker was sentenced to life in prison for killing a sixteen-year-old..." (more)
Key Phrases: granfalloon technique, rationalization trap, deliberative persuasion, United States, World War, Adolf Hitler (more...)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Drawing on the history of propaganda and modern research in social psychology, this book reveals mass persuasion in action -- not just the tactics, but why they work so well, and how we can protect ourselves from manipulation. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From Library Journal

Psychologists Pratkanis and Aronson present a thorough overview of how individuals and the mass media manipulate us using devious persuasive techniques. In order to understand how and why we are persuaded, the authors analyze the various tactics people use to get us to comply; point out ways we might deal sensibly and effectively with propaganda; and examine persuasion in a context of argument and debate. The authors' quarrel with persuasive communication today is that, rather than using logical argument, it uses emotional symbols to manipulate us. Advertisers, for example, use short, catchy, visually oriented messages to get us to buy things we might not need. Pratkanis and Aronson skillfully summarize research findings from the field of social psychology to illustrate their points. While a large portion of the book is devoted to advertising techniques, the authors also examine media coverage of the Gulf War, cult leaders, and political elections. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.
- Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fre donia Lib.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; illustrated edition edition (March 14, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805074031
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805074031
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #80,811 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #60 in  Books > Nonfiction > Politics > Human Rights
    #62 in  Books > Nonfiction > Politics > Practical Politics
    #74 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Communication

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More About the Authors

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Anthony R. Pratkanis
Anthony R. Pratkanis
Elliot Aronson
Elliot Aronson

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
In the early 1990s, seventeen-year-old Demetrick James Walker was sentenced to life in prison for killing a sixteen-year-old. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
granfalloon technique, rationalization trap, deliberative persuasion, thoughtful persuasion, mindless propaganda, mass media models, persuasion devices, persuasion tactics, subliminal commands, vivid appeals, subliminal persuasion, shorter showers, stealing thunder, subliminal influence, propaganda tactics, peripheral route, fear appeals, subliminal advertising
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, World War, Adolf Hitler, Bill Clinton, Channel One, Persian Gulf, George Bush, Publishers Clearing House, White House, New York, Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, Brad Page, Gerry Spence, Imelda Marcos, Paul Ingram, Santa Cruz, Supreme Court, Gettysburg Address, Jim Jones, North Vietnam, Rush Limbaugh, Saddam Hussein, Children of God, Joseph Goebbels
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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Instructive and entertaining, November 12, 2002
This review is from: Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion (Paperback)
Peoples' data-processing capabilities are limited. In the information-dense world people are unable to critically review all the information they receive. In order to be adequate to the situation, they resort to so-called heuristics, simple cues or rules for solving the problem. Heuristics are based on peoples' previous experience in similar situations. Although relying on heuristics is sometimes a useful way of dealing with the onslaught of the decision-rich environment, basing our decisions primarily on heuristics can present some problems. First, heuristic cues that we possess may be false. Furthermore, a rule may be appropriate in certain situations but be misapplied in others. Another serious problem is that heuristics can be easily faked and manipulated. Knowledge of heuristics enables propagandists to control peoples' course of action.

The authors did a research of propaganda techniques and set four stratagems of persuasion:
1. You create favorable climate for the massage (called pre-persuasion). You subtly outline what picture has to be drawn in the end. Here you decide what way thoughts and perceptions of the audience will be shaped and channeled. Having established right basis for further discourse you secure the results you seek. At this stage you should identify some statements as axioms, i.e. `what everyone takes for granted' and `what everyone knows'. You attribute labels (positive or negative) to objects of further discussion, put black-or-white colors in non-disputable way. You use generalities to depict the situation - they are usually so ambiguous that you may change their meanings in the future. You use rumors and gossips.
2. You create a `source credibility', i.e. establish a favorable image in the eyes of the audience. The message must come from `experts' or `unbiased' and, of course, personally attractive communicators. Try to switch on the self-persuasion mechanism of the audience.
3. You create a message that focuses the target's attention and thoughts on exactly what you want them to think about. Research has identified at least five conditions that are likely lead to heuristics. Heuristics are most likely to be used when people do not have time to think carefully about the issue, when they are so overloaded with information that it becomes impossible to process it fully, or when they believe that the issues at stake are not very important. Heuristics are also used when people have little other knowledge or information on which to base a decision and when a given heuristics comes quickly to mind as they are confronted with a problem.
4. You create an emotion of the target that will help you channel thoughts of audience in right direction. Fear appeals are most effective when they raise high levels of fear and suggest a doable and effective responses (the authors also explain why sometimes fear does not work). Guilt: once we are filled with guilt, our thoughts and behavior are directed towards ridding ourselves of this feeling that's where propagandists take advantage of us. Feeling of obligation and indebtedness: large initial request and immediate concession by the requester invokes the norm of reciprocity -we concede. Feeling of commitment based on our desire to be self-consistent. For example, to `soften up' the target you make him involved in a much smaller aspect of the action. This serves to commit the individual to `the case'. Once people are thus committed, the likelihood of their complying with the larger request increases. Another way is to show uniqueness of the offer (scarcity sells). Use the `minimum group paradigm': You are on my side (never mind that I created the terms); now act like it and do what we say. Etc.

The book can be used by target audience to learn persuasion techniques and withstand or organize propaganda tricks. The book is entertaining, rich in vivid examples, and ... has everything to be a success in conveying authors' ideas. Instructive. Great read overall.

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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Consumers and Citizens, Beware!, February 2, 2000
This review is from: Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion (Paperback)
This insightful book explores the profound differences in decision-making over the last 2,500 years. Despite a penchant for social science jargon, the authors successfully translate a tremendous amount of current communications research on the creation and maintainance of belief systems into an accessible book. "Age of Propaganda" documents the rise of advertising, the decline of genuine public discourse, and the inherent dangers of ten second soundbites in determining our desires, needs, and goals. Further, they detail the unique difficulties in making a "rational" decision in a fast-paced, message-dense, mass-media culture. This provocative and disturbing book also paints a potentially bleak picture for America's democratic traditions. Fortunately, the authors provide readers with "an arsenal" of intellectual tools to decode messages and protect ourselves. As the authors conclude, "we must depend on our own knowledge of propaganda tactics and our own efforts to treat important issues as if they were truly important."
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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion, March 1, 2000
By wittig1939@home.com (University of Alabama-Birmingham) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion (Hardcover)
This is an excellent book which explains how the media, demagogues, politicains and marketers are able to gain compliance from their various publics. The use of lab studies and real world examples bring both theory and practice together. I have used this book for a class in propaganda since its first edition, and without fail students rave about the book in their course evaluations. It is a well-written book devoid of educationalese. This is an important book that provides the reader with genuine insight into a world of total propaganda and how as "cognitive misers" we allow ourselves to be manipulated.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you know is wrong
I used to laboriously collect information I found on media influence. Age of Propaganda contains such a vast array of examples of the deplorable use of propaganda; arguably the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Theo Antichi

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money...
I was really looking forward to learning more about the use of propaganda, but was not expecting to purchase a book that contains so much of it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sola Scriptura

5.0 out of 5 stars quantities of Propaganda
This is a common sense book that details the techniques used by the American political system to control the masses. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bartok Kinski

5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain scary
This book here is just plain scary!!! It has amazing facts! This is really a good read and every breathing human being should read this and get educated! Read more
Published 10 months ago by Andris Goncarovs

4.0 out of 5 stars An Eye Opener
What I like about this book:
- It is great to help people become aware of how the media manipulates our fears, insecurities and prejudices to make us want to buy everything... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Nutsi

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book about Everyday Life Propaganda
This book opens your eyes concerning propaganda and the media. Everyone should read the Age of Propaganda. There are lots of examples in the book that help explain the topic.
Published 20 months ago by Stefan P.

5.0 out of 5 stars Age of Propaganda: An excellent purchase.
I have purchased, read, and studied many of the primary sources used by this book, but this book is the absolute gem in my collection on the subject of propaganda. Read more
Published 21 months ago by T. Snider

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Easy to Read
This book attempts to demystify propaganda and the persuasion process, and it does so in a fluid and engaging manner. Read more
Published on October 26, 2007 by Santi Tafarella

5.0 out of 5 stars It's very informative
here are my notes

The successful persuasion tactic is one that directs and channels thoughts so that the target thinks in a manner agreeable to the communicator's... Read more
Published on August 23, 2007 by anonymous reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't recommend this book enough...
I am writing a thesis for a my master's on myths, and relating that to propaganda, which led me to this book.
I can't say enough great things about this book. Read more
Published on December 16, 2006 by Dnang

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