Attitudes and Persuasion

Attitudes matter. Throughout the history of the world, people have taken extraordinary steps to support a set of attitudes and beliefs that helped to bring about a better world. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King led societies to new views of human dignity by their written words and their behaviors. Every day, people advocate for their ideals. They persuade and organize in the service of bringing about a better world. This seminar will explore the science of persuasion. We will examine empirical research and theory that lead us to understand how attitudes are formed, maintained, and changed.