Critical Questions in Persuasion Research presents students with a refreshing way to study persuasion, communication theory, and human behavior. Rather than examining different types of persuasion research and reviewing each one at a time, communication scholars Franklin J. Boster and Christopher J. Carpenter explore eight key controversies, as well as research and theory related to each topic:

What constitutes a strong persuasive message, and does it matter?
How do we adapt persuasive messages to diverse audiences?
Do persuasive messages have side effects?
How can we manage the buzz?
How can we maintain attitude change?
Can a persuasive message be counterproductive?
How can we encourage resistance to persuasion?
To what extent does action follow from attitudes?


By focusing on how various disciplines deal with the big controversies in the persuasion process, students gain an understanding not only of key ideas and theories, but how the ideas and theories fit together in a meaningful whole. By framing persuasion as a series of critical questions, students learn that social science is a dynamic and exciting way in which to study persuasion.

Critical Questions in Persuasion Research is an ideal textbook for courses with focus on persuasion, communication, and human behavior.