Age of propaganda : the everyday use and abuse of persuasion

Americans create 57% of the world's advertising while representing only 6% of its population; half of our waking hours are spent immersed in the mass media. Persuasion has always been integral to the democratic process, but increasingly, thoughtful discussion is being replaced with simplistic soundbites and manipulative messages. Drawing on the history of propaganda as well as on contemporary research in social psychology, Age of Propaganda shows how the tactics used by political campaigners, sales agents, advertisers, televangelists, demagogues, and others often take advantage of our emotions by appealing to our deepest fears and most irrational hopes, creating a distorted vision of the world we live in. This revised and updated edition includes coverage of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, recent election campaigns, talk radio, teen suicide, U.F.O. abductions, the Columbine shootings, and novel propaganda tactics based on hypocrisy and false allegations. Americans Create 57% Of The World's Advertising While Representing Only 6% Of Its Population; Half Of Our Waking Hours Are Spent Immersed In The Mass Media. Persuasion Has Always Been Integral To The Democratic Process, But Increasingly, Thoughtful Discussion Is Being Replaced With Simplistic Soundbites And Manipulative Messages. Drawing On The History Of Propaganda As Well As On Contemporary Research In Social Psychology, Age Of Propagaows How The Tactics Used By Political Campaigners, Sales Agents, Advertisers, Televangelists, Demagogues, And Others Often Take Advantage Of Our Emotions By Appealing To Our Deepest Fears And Most Irrational Hopes, Creating A Distorted Vision Of The World We Live In. -- Publisher Description. Our Age Of Propaganda -- Mysterious Influence -- Mindless Propaganda, Thoughtful Persuasion -- The Rationalizing Animal -- The Four Stratagems Of Influence -- Words Of Influence -- Pictures In Our Heads -- Saddam Hussein : The Hitler Of Baghdad? -- Questionable Persuasion -- The Power Of Decoys -- The Psychology Of Factoids -- The Credible Communicator -- Breakfast Of Champions, Junk Food For The Self -- How Do You Persuade If Everyone Knows You Are Untrustworthy, Unbelievable, And Disliked? -- The Manufacture Of Credibility -- Prizefighter Slays Eleven With One Look : The Influence Of Mass Media Models -- Packages -- Self-sell -- Naked Attics And Neighborhood War Heroes : On Vividness In Communication -- Why Do They Keep Repeating The Same Ads? -- If You Have Nothing To Say--distract Them -- If You Want To Gain An Inch, Ask For A Mile--sometimes! -- Protagoras' Ideal : One-sided Puffery Versus Two-sided Debate -- The Fear Appeal -- The Granfalloon Technique -- Guilt Sells -- What Is The Influence Of One Flower Given? -- The Committed Heart -- To Practice What You Preach -- The Psychology Of Scarcity And The Mystique Of Phantoms -- Education Or Propaganda? -- What Is News? -- On The Ineffectiveness Of Information Campaigns -- Subliminal Sorcery : Who Is Seducing Whom? -- Persuasion Direct -- How To Become A Cult Leader -- Propaganda In The Third Reich : A Case For Uncertainty -- Is Forewarned Forearmed? Or How To Really Resist Propaganda -- What We Can Do To Stop Propaganda In Its Tracks -- Peitho's Children. Anthony R. Pratkanis And Elliot Aronson. First Published In Hardcover In 1992 By W.h. Freeman And Company. First Owl Books Edition 2002. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [357]-397) And Index. Americans consume 57% of the world's advertising while representing only 6% of the population, and half of our waking hours are spent immersed in the mass media. Persuasion has always been integral to the democratic process, but increasingly, thoughtful discussion is being replaced with simplistic soundbites and manipulative messages. Drawing on the history of propaganda as well as on contemporary research in social psychology, [this book] shows how the tactics used by political campaigners, sales agents, advertisers, televangelists, demagogues, and others often take advantage of our emotions by appealing to our deepest fears and most irrational hopes, creating a distorted vision of the world we live in. This revised and updated edition includes coverage of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, recent election campaigns, talk radio, teen suicide, U.F.O. abductions, the Columbine shootings, and novel propaganda tactics based on hypocrisy and false allegations.-Back cover Shares findings from research on the effectiveness of various persuasive messages, provides an overview of what social psychologists and other investigators have learned about how people are persuaded, analyzes common propaganda tactics, and explains what people can do to limit the effects of propaganda in their lives