Social Influence

Catalog description

Theory and devices of persuasion; analysis of persuasive discourse. CAS 550 CAS 550 Social Influence (3 per semester/maximum of 6) This is a graduate-level seminar designed to provide students with social scientific theoretical principles for explanation, prediction, and practice in social influence contexts and situations. CAS 550 emphasizes the positive and negative outcomes likely to be associated with specific messages designed to influence others in social and societal settings. It emphasizes the importance of audience analysis and goal selection in guiding message design, and source and channel selection to communicate in ways that are intended to form, change, or reinforce and maintain others' beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. It affords significant opportunities to address the gaps between theory and measurement in social scientific research pursuits. These attempts may employ a highly active cognitive approach or a more passive strategy. Both approaches are examined in this course. The course content and setting reflects the above aims. The course begins by defining social influence, provides an overview of its history, and introduces the major theories associated with social influence formation, change, and reinforcement objectives. The course devotes significant time to the evaluation of existing social influence attempts, including review of the channel(s) and source(s) used to deliver particular messages. Students will also practice known strategies for designing influence messages. These activities will take place within the framework of knowledge generated by research findings associated with the influence theories examined in the class.Evaluation will include participation in class, exams that include application in the form of a social influence case study, and a research proposal associated with the application of social influence theories to message design and evaluation.The course complements graduate students' interests in pursuing academic, business, health, management, public relations, advertising, sales, and other career ambitions where communication is associated with the desire to influence others. The course will increase students' critical thinking and informed decision-making skills associated with others' efforts to influence them. It also frames discussion about the ethics of and ethical decision-making associated with persuasion. CAS 550 will be offered every other year with 15 seats per offering.