The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence

The study of social influence has been central to social psychology since its inception. In fact, research on social influence began all the way back to the late 1800s, predating the term 'social psychology' as we know it today. And while the area's influence continued through the beginning of social psychology's golden age, by the mid-1980s, interest declined while interest in social cognition increased. Today, however, the pendulum is swinging back, and is evident from the growing interest in non-cognitive, motivational accounts of the field.

Edited by Stephen G. Harkins, Kipling D. Williams, and Jerry M. Burger, The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence is a landmark contribution to the resurging interest in social influence, restoring this important field to its once preeminent position within social psychology. In this volume, Harkins, Williams, and Burger lead a team of leading scholars as they explore a variety of topics within social influence, seamlessly incorporating a range of analyses (including intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intragroup), and examine critical theories and the role of social influence in applied settings today.

The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence contributes to emerging interest in social influence in a variety of ways. Chapters cover classic topics in the context of what has been learned since the original research was conducted, while other contributions showcase how integrations and elaborations that initially advanced our understanding of social influence processes are now within reach. Additional chapters also reveal the gaps in social influence literature, and go on to suggest future lines of research and exploration.

Stephen G. Harkins received his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1975. Following a two year post-doc at Ohio State, he moved to Northeastern University where he has been a Professor since 1989. He studies the effect of social threat on task performance.

Kipling D. Williams received his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University in 1981. Since 2004, he has been a Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. His primary research interests are ostracism and social influence. He is editor of the journal, Social Influence.

Jerry M. Burger received his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1980, and has been a Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University since 1993. He has conducted extensive research in the areas of obedience, compliance, perception of and motivation for personal control, and social norms. He also has published a book on attachment to childhood homes.