This popular text provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of persuasive messages and their effects. Concepts and methods from communication and social psychology are seamlessly integrated to give students a solid grasp of foundational issues in persuasion research, the core features of persuasive transactions, and major models of persuasive communication. Distinguished by its clear organization and wealth of concrete examples, this is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses for students with a basic understanding of quantitative research methods.