Thinking Critically about Social Influence and Authority
Influence: Science and Practice
by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D.
Scott, Foresman 1988 Pb. 287pp. $15.00
Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion
by Anthony Pratkanis, Ph.D. and Elliot Aronson, Ph.D.
W.H. Freeman 1991 Pb. 289pp. $19.95
A highly readable analysis of the patterns, motives and effects of mass persuasion efforts to influence how we think, how we vote, and what we value. Drawing on the the history of propaganda and research in social psychology, it shows us not only what the tactics are but why they work and how we can protect ourselves from manipulation.
The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
by Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad
North Atlantic 1993 Pb. 374pp. $14.95
A call to take back the authority that people have
unknowingly invested in others, this book examines the techniques used
to covertly control others in the guise of imparting knowledge or
"doing what's best for you." Asserting that the doctrine of
self-sacrifice is used as a tool of control, it unmasks
authoritarianism in the areas of addiction, intimate relations, cults,
and Eastern and Western religions.
A
review of this
book
is available.
Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View
by Stanley Milgram, Ph.D.
Harper & Row 1974 Pb. 234pp. $14.00
No study in social psychology is more famous than the Yale "shock experiment" that demonstrated how easily ordinary people obey the demands of authority. In clear terms, Milgram details a series of experiments that explore the situational factors (e.g., proximity of the victim, diffusion of responsibility) that affect obedience to authority. The powerful effect of these factors--something the average person usually underestimates--is one of the most important lessons of this classic study.
Crimes of Obedience: Toward a Social Psychology of Authority and Responsibility
by Herbert C. Kelman, Ph.D. and V. Lee Lawrence, Ph.D.
Yale Univ. Press 1989 Pb. 367pp. $19.95
A comprehensive overview and analysis of the research on obedience and resistance to authority, this scholarly, readable book provides a social psychological framework for analyzing authority. Beginning with a detailed account of the My Lai massacre, the authors explore the processes that contribute to the legitimacy of authority and provide obstacles to challenging authority. They conclude with suggestions for ways that people can be encouraged to resist unjust authority.
The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence
by Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D. and Michael Leippe, Ph.D.
McGraw-Hill 1991 3rd ed. 370pp. $23.00
A highly readable but thorough exploration of the social
psychological research on these topics. Zimbardo is one of the
leading experts in this area.Influencing Minds
edited by Leonard Roy Frank
Feral House Pb. 218pp. $12.95 A reader in quotations on education, propaganda, psychiatry,
advertising, creativity and other areas.