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Resistance and Persuasion

• Edited by Eric S. Knowles, Jay A. Linn

• Price: $42.50
• Binding: Paperback (also available in Hardback)
• Pages: 368
• Published by: Psychology Press
• Publication Date: 1st December 2003
• ISBN: 978-0-8058-4487-0

About the Book

Resistance and Persuasion is the first book to analyze the nature of resistance and demonstrate how it can be reduced, overcome, or used to promote persuasion. By examining resistance, and providing strategies for overcoming it, this new book generates insight into new facets of influence and persuasion. With contributions from the leaders in the field, this book presents original ideas and research that demonstrate how understanding resistance can improve persuasion, compliance, and social influence. Many of the authors present their research for the first time. Four faces of resistance are identified: reactance, distrust, scrutiny, and inertia. The concluding chapter summarizes the book's theoretical contributions and establishes a resistance-based research agenda for persuasion and attitude change. This new book helps to establish resistance as a legitimate sub-field of persuasion that is equal in force to influence.

Resistance and Persuasion offers many new revelations about persuasion:

*Acknowledging resistance helps to reduce it.

*Raising reactance makes a strong message more persuasive.

*Putting arguments into a narrative increases their influence.

*Identifying illegitimate sources of information strengthens the influence of legitimate sources.

*Looking ahead reduces resistance to persuasive attempts.


This volume will appeal to researchers and students from a variety of disciplines including social, cognitive, and health psychology, communication, marketing, political science, journalism, and education.

Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword. Part I: Introduction. E.S. Knowles, J.A. Linn, The Importance of Resistance to Persuasion. Part II: Nature of Resistance in Persuasion. D.T. Wegener, R.E. Petty, N.D. Smoak, L.R. Fabrigar, Multiple Routes to Resisting Attitude Change. K. Fuegen, J.W. Brehm, The Intensity of Affect and Resistance to Social Influence. Z.L. Tormala, R.E. Petty, Resisting Persuasion and Attitude Certainty: A Meta-Cognitive Analysis. P. Briñol, D.D. Rucker, Z.L. Tormala, R.E. Petty, Individual Differences in Resistance to Persuasion: The Role of Beliefs and Meta-Beliefs. R.J. Shakarchi, C.P. Haugtvedt, Differentiating Individual Differences in Resistance to Persuasion. Part III: Strategies for Overcoming Resistance. E.S. Knowles, J.A. Linn, Approach-Avoidance Model of Persuasion: Alpha and Omega Strategies for Change. S.J. Sherman, M.T. Crawford, A.R. McConnell, Looking Ahead as a Technique to Reduce Resistance to Persuasive Attempts. S. Dal Cin, M.P. Zanna, G.T. Fong, Narrative Persuasion and Overcoming Resistance. J.M. Quinn, W. Wood, Forewarnings of Influence Appeals: Inducing Resistance and Acceptance. B.T. Johnson, A. Smith-McLallen, L.A. Killeya, K.D. Levin, Truth or Consequences: Overcoming Resistance to Persuasion With Positive Thinking. J.Z. Jacks, M.E. O'Brien, Decreasing Resistance by Affirming the Self. B.J. Sagarin, R.B. Cialdini, Creating Critical Consumers: Motivating Receptivity by Teaching Resistance. C.P. Haugtvedt, R.J. Shakarchi, B.M. Samuelsen, K. Liu, Consumer Psychology and Attitude Change. Part IV: Conclusion. E.S. Knowles, J.A. Linn, The Promise and Future of Resistance and Persuasion.

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