Attitude Structure and Function

by Anthony R. Pratkanis (Editor), Steven J. Breckler (Editor), Anthony G. Greenwald (Editor)

Utilizing "new wave" research including new psychological theories, new statistical techniques, and a stronger methodology, this collection unites a diversity of recent research perspectives on attitudes and the psychological functions of an attitude. The objective of the editors was to bring together the bits and pieces of validated data into one systematic and adequate set of general principles leading to the view of attitudes as predictions. As the volume reformulates old concepts, explores new angles, and seeks a relationship among various sub-areas, it also shows improvements in the sophistication of research designs and methodologies, the specifications of variables, and the precision in defining concepts.

476 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1989

About the author

Anthony R. Pratkanis earned his Ph.D. in 1984 from the famed social psychology
program at the Ohio State University. His research program has investigated
such topics as the delayed effects of persuasion, attitudes and memory, groupthink,
affirmative action, subliminal persuasion, mass communications, source
credibility, persuasion and democracy, economic fraud, the use of influence in
international conflicts, and a variety of influence tactics such as the pique
technique, phantoms, the projection tactic, the 1-in-5 prize tactic, and altercasting.
He has appeared in the mass media over 500 times as an expert on social
influence processes, has been called as an expert witness in numerous advertising
deceptiveness cases, and served as a consultant to AARP, NASD, and other law
enforcement and civic groups on countering the undue influence used in
fraud crimes and to the United States military on countering the propaganda of
terrorists and dictators.
He is the co-author (with Elliot Aronson) of Age of Propaganda: The Everyday
Use and Abuse of Persuasion and (with Doug Shadel) of Weapons of Fraud: A
Source Book for Fraud Fighters.
Anthony Pratkanis is the founding editor of Social Influence, a new scientific
journal from Psychology Press.