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School of Journalism and New Media
University of Mississippi

Assistant Professor Robert Magee publishes persuasion text

Posted on: November 11th, 2014 by

Magee Text CoverDr. Robert Magee published Persuasion: A Social Science Approach, a textbook designed to help advanced undergraduate students and beginning graduate students become able practitioners of persuasion.

The book provides an overview of influential theories of persuasion and social influence with the goal of helping the reader understand the many ways in which people can be influenced. Along the way, the concepts are amply illustrated with practical examples from a number of fields, including health, politics, the environment, and integrated marketing communications.

People can be influenced through careful consideration of persuasive appeals or by making snap judgments of a speaker’s appearance. At other times, people’s behavior can be influenced by subtle cues in the environment, such as scents or colors, without even being aware of it. Other persuaders have harnessed the power of stories to change people’s opinions and behavior. These and many other evidence-based approaches are described in the text.

The publication is available for purchase as an electronic text from Thuze and is priced more affordably than the vast majority of texts in the field, which for Magee was important consideration in the choice of publisher. Readers can access the text on the web, smartphones, and tablets, and any notes made on one device are instantly available in any version.

Magee, the interim director of the M. A. in integrated marketing communications, has published peer-reviewed research in journals such as Media Psychology, Marketing Letters, Journal of Interactive Advertising, and Journal of Health Communication.