Persuasion: Messages, Receivers, and Contexts

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Persuasion: Messages, Receivers, and Contexts covers key topics―such as ethics and deception, audience analysis, nonverbal communication, and culture―and shows students how to develop critical skills as senders and receivers of persuasive messages. The text presents contemporary research in an accessible and engaging format for students, while also encouraging them to apply persuasion principles and theories to real-world case studies like campaigns and news coverage. Students are also guided to develop skills in public speaking, debate, courtroom communication, interpersonal communication, and more.

Persuasion features extended discussions of propaganda, political persuasion, advertising, and sender/receiver skills development. The text covers research findings on persuasive effects and theories including theories of behavior and behavioral intention, consistency, elaboration likelihood, dramatism, classical rhetoric, visual rhetoric, and mass communication.

Filled with practical guidelines for creating and analyzing persuasive messages, Persuasion is an ideal primary text for courses in persuasion, persuasion and propaganda, and persuasion and rhetoric.