Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility

by Charles U. Larson

Larson emphasizes developing students skills as consumers, rather than as producers, of persuasive messages (i.e., receiver-oriented vs. source-oriented). The text presents persuasion through an examination of popular culture-politics, advertising, mass media-focusing on the thinking and language skills needed for informed, critical consumption of persuasive messages. Woven within this framework, Larson provides ample coverage of persuasion theory, research, and ethics, including the responsibility of the receiver.

Genres: Nonfiction, Communication, Psychology, Textbooks

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This textbook attempts to examine media messages as "persuasion" and apply a science to the craft of persuasive communication which seems mostly made up. The author uses the idea of a central and peripheral processing center of the brain (similar to a ventral/dorsal stream) to determine how persuasive messages are perceived; unfortunately, the persuasion of that idea itself fails to succeed. Instead, Larson uses a lot of new-media jargon he hopes to "make happen" (such as the abbreviation SNM for social media, which probably never caught on for may more reasons than its similarity to "S&M"). When not filling his new glossary, he falls back on the phrase "24/7 media-saturated world," which appears every few pages, each time with the attitude of a phrase which has no idea it occurred just a few minutes ago. Some of his commentary is oddly sexist and racist, but mostly non sequitur, in its own stereotype of the jaded put-upon professor the establishment is out to get. Look for the newspaper comic used to illustrate ad hominem. It is actually about him. But outside of the background of the incident it illustrates, it makes little sense and fails to make its point within the text. I don't know why this text bothered me so much. Something in my "ELM," I expect.

[Jesse VanDeWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers a variety of topics in the realm of persuasion. A bit heavy on the theory and light on the practical application, perhaps.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read all throughout, but it doesn't do quite justice in explaning the material well enough. It covers a bunch of theories all relatable to Persuasion, but it really could do a much better job at explaining the content and could use better examples to make it easier to understand the materials.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great class. Lots of great concepts about persuasion in marketing. Not that I would read this book for fun, but at least it wasn't a dry text book!

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dry, scholastic, pointless. So in the beginning one academic starts ranting about how the online addition to human lives has changed persuasion. He does not seem to be aware that most of the world is not online. And in a way he is right not to bother, because it is institutions in the Western world which will buy his work and not people in the "third world." Yet, turn some pages and you will get lots of pages about the Greek antiquity. In short, the authors do not have a very clear idea, but they badly needed to publish one more book. 12th edition? They sure are well connected in the publishing world.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great text about the media and the art of persuasion.