Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining (4th Edition) Grounded in contemporary scholarship, Persuasion: Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining not only provides a comprehensive of overview of persuasion theory and application, but also engages students in the thoughtful evaluation of the role that persuasive messages play in their own everyday lives. Â This Fourth Edition guides students from understanding established theories and models of persuasion, to being able to develop and apply general conclusions about persuasion in real-world settings. The authors present a social-scientific perspective of persuasion that includes in a wide variety of contexts and connects with students by drawing on numerous real-life examples and applications of persuasion.