By Robert H. Gass and John S. Seiter
Allyn and Bacon, 1999

Reviewed by:
Mary M. Eicholtz
Ohio University

As an undergraduate text, Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining, presents instructors and students with a comprehensive review or theories and strategies relevant to all different types of persuasion. The text is arranged by first establishing a foundation for the reasons and importance of studying the subject and then providing theoretical grounding for understanding persuasion's influence and strategies. I have used this text in my junior level Persuasion class and have determined both strengths and weaknesses in its contributions.

Several qualities of the text are evident. First, the treatment of communication theory throughout the text provides students who have completed a theory course a good review of each theory's highlights. There is also sufficient information for understanding the information for the student who has not completed a theory course. Communication theories like Elaboration Likelihood Model, cognitive dissonance, social judgement, attribution theory, and others back each concept or strategy discussed. The theories come alive and are easy to remember with the authors' examples.

Second, the text looks at persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining as a communication phenomenon and does not limit the subject to specific contexts. This distinction is refreshing and helpful when used in a class of communication students with different interests. It is often difficult to find texts that approach the subject of persuasion as more than marketing, advertising, or legal debate.

Finally, the text is very readable and contains sidebars and cartoons relevant to the point being discussed. The authors have a sense of humor to which students can relate. The reader gets the impression the authors are talking rather than writing their comments. One of my students commented in her course evaluation, "This is the only textbook I've read from cover to cover."

There are aspects of the text that should be considered carefully. First, the text is written overtly for the traditional undergraduate student. Examples and illustrations are drawn from the experiences of the typical 18-22 year old residential student. This attribute could be problematic in a classroom of non-traditional students. This shortcoming is compounded in the text's lack of intercultural considerations. More examples that use intercultural characters and situations would make the book stronger. While inclusion of many different people is sometimes difficult to achieve, this text makes a minimal attempt.

A second concern feeds the debate on how ethics should fit into communication curriculums. Gass and Seiter do provide a chapter on ethics and persuasion at the end of the book. The subject of ethics might be better served at the beginning of the book or at the end of each chapter. As ethics is presented here, it is difficult to cover the chapter early because the authors draw on the students' knowledge of the previous chapters in their review. Helping our students develop ethical communication skills should be part of our efforts as instructors. The subject of persuasion is particularly vulnerable to ethical considerations, and it is disappointing not to see a more effective presentation of the matter in the book.

Finally, an obvious omission in the book is a review and discussion of propaganda. Major social movements that were achieved through propaganda are not mentioned. This omission is serious in an undergraduate text. Students need to know how subtle and effective propaganda has been and continues to be in society.

An instructor's manual is available from the publisher and for each chapter contains an outline of the chapter, several class activities, and a bank of multiple-choice and essay test questions. Many of the class activities worked well and were on point. The multiple-choice questions proved to be statistically sound.

In general, my students gave the book high marks, and with some supplementation, the text provides a solid foundation for the study of persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining.