The Psychology of Influence Theory, research and practice

Whether it?s our choice of a new car or what we think about our neighbours, our opinions and attitudes are a way of negotiating the world around us. The Psychology of Influence explores how these preferences and behaviours are influenced and affected by the messages we receive in daily life. From consumer choices to political, lifestyle and financial decisions, the book examines how and why we may be influenced by a range of sources, from written text and television to social media and interpersonal communication.

In a field that has fascinated scholars since Plato, the book addresses the key questions across cognitive, social and emotional domains:

• When do arguments become persuasive?
• What influence do role models have?
• What role do simple rules of thumb, social norms or emotions play?
• Which behaviours are difficult to influence, and why?

Covering topics from attraction, prejudice and discrimination to reward, punishment and unconscious bias, The Psychology of Influence will be invaluable reading for students and researchers across a range of areas within applied and social psychology, as well as those in political science, communications, marketing and business and management.

List of figures List of tables List of boxes Preface 1. Influence: definition, history and a model 2. Attitudes and behaviour 3. Persuasion through argumentation 4. Cognitive heuristics 5. Social heuristics 6. Emotions and influence 7. Punishment and reward 8. Automatic influences on attitudes and behaviour 9. Social norms and social comparison 10. Modification of complex behaviour: from intentions to action 11. Back to the future Glossary Index

Joop van der Pligt was a Professor in Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. His research interests pertained to attitudes, perceived risk and affect in relation to decision making. He died in 2015, when this book was almost complete.

Michael Vliek is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. His current research interests lie on the intersection of group behaviour and emotions.