Six Degrees of Social Influence ─ Science, Application, and the Psychology of Robert Cialdini

Over the course of the last four decades, Robert Cialdini's work has helped spark an intellectual revolution in which social psychological ideas have become increasingly influential. The concepts presented in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, have spread well beyond the geographic boundaries of North America and beyond the field of academic social psychology into the areas of business, health, and politics. In this book, leading authors, who represent many different countries and disciplines, explore new developments and the widespread impact of Cialdini's work in research areas ranging from persuasion strategy and social engineering to help-seeking and decision-making. Among the many topics covered, the authors discuss how people underestimate the influence of others, how a former computer hacker used social engineering to gain access to highly confidential computer codes, and how biology and evolution figure into the principles of influence. The authors break new ground in the study of influence.

Douglas Kenrick is Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. He is author of 175 scientific articles, books, and chapters. His work integrates evolutionary psychology, cognitive science, and dynamical systems theory. He is the author of Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life: A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature, and Social Psychology: Goals in Interaction (now in its 5th edition, with Steven Neuberg and Robert Cialdini).

Noah J. Goldstein is Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. He conducts research on social influence and persuasion. He is co-author of a book on persuasion with Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin called Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, a New York Times bestseller that has been translated into over 25 languages.

Sanford L. Braver is Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. He has been the recipient of 17 competitively reviewed, primarily federal, research grants, which total to almost $20 million. His work has been quoted widely in the news media, including U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger's, Redbook, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and has been featured on ABC News' 20/20.