Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility

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.