Cognitive Dissonance

Fully cross-referenced and source-referenced, this dictionary contains over 1200 entries consisting of terms concerning laws, theories, hypotheses, doctrines, principles, and effects in early and contemporary psychological literature. Each entry consists of the definition/description of the term with commentary, followed by a number of cross-referenced, related terms, and by chronologically-ordered source references to indicate the evolution of the term. An appendix provides supplementary material on many laws and theories not included in the dictionary itself and will be helpful to students and scholars concerned with specialty areas in psychology.

This completely revised second edition of the best-selling text presents an up-to-date, comprehensive introduction to persuasive communication and attitude change. Employing the same organizational strategy he used in the first edition but offering more applications and fresh examples, Richard Perloff systematically explores the impact of persuasive communications on attitudes toward a host of topics spanning health, politics, and racial prejudice. This text will: *enhance students' understanding of persuasion theories and research; *introduce readers to the social science perspective on persuasion; *expose students to major issues discussed in the field of persuasion research; *help students appreciate complexities and subtleties in the dynamics of everyday persuasion; and *raise consciousness about the ethics of contemporary persuasion. Part I introduces students to the ubiquity of persuasion, how it is defined and differentiated from related terms, and the meaning of core concepts like attitude, belief, and value. Perloff combines a discussion of major concepts, such as balance theory, accessibility, and the theory of reasoned action with application of these concepts to numerous situations in everyday life, including the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, body art, religion, abortion, and AIDS prevention. Part II of the book explores communication and attitude change. Contemporary theories, such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the Extended Parallel Process Model, and Cognitive Dissonance Theory are discussed in detail. Students and professors will find an up-to-date discussion of research generated by these theories, coupled with criticisms of theoretical perspectives. Part III of the book examines advertising and communication campaigns. After introducing students to advertising--using well-known advertising slogans and motifs--Perloff debunks subliminal advertising and describes major theories of advertising effects. Written for the upper-undergraduate level, The Dynamics of Persuasion is appropriate for courses in the social sciences, notably communication, speech, journalism, psychology, marketing, and sociology.

This book offers a comprehensive review and integration of the most recent research and theories on the role of affect in social cognition and features original contributions from leading researchers in the field. The applications of this work to areas such as clinical, organizational, forensic, health, marketing, and advertising psychology receive special emphasis throughout. The book is suitable as a core text in advanced courses on the role of affect in social cognition and behavior or as a reference for those interested in the subject.

A comprehensive overview of the mechanisms involved in how cognitive processes determine thought and behavior toward the social world, Cognitive Social Psychology: *examines cognition as a motivated process wherein cognition and motivation are seen as intertwined; * reviews the latest research on stereotyping, prejudice, and the ability to control these phenomena--invaluable information to managers who need to prevent against bias in the workplace; and *provides a current analysis of classic problems/issues in social psychology, such as cognitive dissonance, the fundamental attribution error, social identity, stereotyping, social comparison, heuristic processing, the self-concept, assimilation and contrast effects, and goal pursuit. Intended for psychology and management students, as well as social, cognitive, and industrial/organizational psychologists in both academic and applied settings. This new book is also an ideal text for courses in social cognition due to its cohesive structure.

Experiments With People explores the fascinating subject of social psychology. It showcases 28 intriguing studies that have significantly advanced our understanding of human thought and social behavior. These studies, mostly laboratory experiments, shed light on phenomena that would otherwise remain deeply puzzling-the irrationality of everyday thinking, the cruelty and indifference of `ordinary' people, the operation of the unconscious mind, and the intimate bond between the self and others. In so doing, the book tells the inside story of how social psychological research gets done and why it matters. Each chapter focuses on the details and implications of a single study, but cites related research and real-life examples along the way. An attractive feature of the book is that all its chapters are fully self-contained, allowing them to be read in any order without loss of coherence. An introductory chapter sets the stage by providing a concise exposition of why conducting `experiments with people' is a uniquely powerful means of investigating psychological questions in a truly scientific way. For pedagogical convenience, each chapter is divided into standard subsections: Background-provides the rationale for the study; What They Did-outlines the design and procedure used; What They Found-summarizes the results obtained; So What?-articulates the significance of those results; Afterthoughts-explores the broader issues raised by the study; and Revelation-encapsulates the `take-home message' of each chapter. This paperback is ideal as a main or supplementary text for seminars and courses in social psychology, but could equally serve as a supplementary text for courses in introductory psychology or research design. Written in a lively and conversational style, Experiments With People should also appeal to anyone wishing to learn more about social issues and dynamics, or keen to gain greater insight into themselves or others.