Joel M. Cooper – författare

`This volume is everything one would want from a one-volume handbook... Comprehensive in scope, authoritative, clearly written, and detailed... The volume is edited by two of the most prominent social psychologists in their own right, and the list of contributors is a veritable who's who of the discipline. No Library should be without this book' - Choice

This is a comprehensive, scholarly, and up-to-date survey of the field of social psychology for the new millennium - a single 656 page Handbook containing 23 chapters by leading researchers from around the world. It is a state-of-the-art text with an eye to the future, in which rich integrative chapters are thorough analytic reviews. The chapters fall into five sections that reflect the scope of social psychology as a global scientific endeavour: history and nature of social psychology; individual processes, interpersonal processes; processes within groups, and intergroup processes and society.

The book is edited by Michael A Hogg and Joel Cooper, with Dominic Abrams, Elliot Aronson and Shelley Taylor acting as advisory editors.

The main features and benefits of this book include: single volume; international coverage of social psychology; international line-up of authors; basic and applied research are integrated within chapters, not exiled to the end of the book; traditional emphasis on individual and interpersonal processes is balanced with full emphasis on the study of group processes and intergroup relations; chapters on language and social psychology, culture and self.

'Dr. Joel Cooper has been at the very forefront of research on dissonance theory for decades now. In this book, he provides a brilliant and engagingly-written review of the 50-year history of dissonance research and a masterful account of the ensuing developments in the theory. The book will be an outstanding resource for readers familiar with dissonance research and an enlightening introduction for those who are not'

- Professor Russell H. Fazio, Ohio State University

Why is it that people who smoke continue to do so knowing how bad it is for them? What drives people to committing adultery even though they inherently believe this is wrong? What's the outcome of this contradiction in the mind?

Cognitive dissonance has been an important and influential theory since Leon Festinger published his classic work in 1957. It is known by every social psychologist, most psychologists of any stripe, and the lay public, making its way into such mainstream publications as The New York Times with increasing frequency and accuracy. Ultimately, dissonance has become one of the most popularly known expressions of social psychological insights, making its way into the literature in consumer, health and economic behavior, and has become a frequently used explanation of political behavior in the popular press and magazines.

In marking the 50th anniversary of the theory's inception, Joel Cooper - arguably the scholar most associated with dissonance research in the past few decades - has presented a beautiful, modern and comprehensive analysis of the state of dissonance theory. This book charts the progress of dissonance theory, assessing its impact not only within our understanding of psychology but in everyday experiences as well. It should be important reading for students in social psychology, either undergraduate or graduate, but equally relevant to a host of other readers who need to understand or share the same passions for appreciating the significance of cognitive dissonance in the human psyche.

'Dr. Joel Cooper has been at the very forefront of research on dissonance theory for decades now. In this book, he provides a brilliant and engagingly-written review of the 50-year history of dissonance research and a masterful account of the ensuing developments in the theory. The book will be an outstanding resource for readers familiar with dissonance research and an enlightening introduction for those who are not'

- Professor Russell H. Fazio, Ohio State University

Why is it that people who smoke continue to do so knowing how bad it is for them? What drives people to committing adultery even though they inherently believe this is wrong? What's the outcome of this contradiction in the mind?

Cognitive dissonance has been an important and influential theory since Leon Festinger published his classic work in 1957. It is known by every social psychologist, most psychologists of any stripe, and the lay public, making its way into such mainstream publications as The New York Times with increasing frequency and accuracy. Ultimately, dissonance has become one of the most popularly known expressions of social psychological insights, making its way into the literature in consumer, health and economic behavior, and has become a frequently used explanation of political behavior in the popular press and magazines.

In marking the 50th anniversary of the theory's inception, Joel Cooper - arguably the scholar most associated with dissonance research in the past few decades - has presented a beautiful, modern and comprehensive analysis of the state of dissonance theory. This book charts the progress of dissonance theory, assessing its impact not only within our understanding of psychology but in everyday experiences as well. It should be important reading for students in social psychology, either undergraduate or graduate, but equally relevant to a host of other readers who need to understand or share the same passions for appreciating the significance of cognitive dissonance in the human psyche.